Gravity
by Seriesaddict1
Summary: AU story where Walter and Paige meet during their college years. Updated randomly until I can be back to a chapter a day. Mostly Waige but we're going to see a great deal of the other characters (Quintis and Melvester scenes to happen). Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 1

 _ **Hi everyone! So, a few things explaining whats going to happen here before we get started :**_ _ **With my studies I almost don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t go out anymore and I stopped sport so I needed something to do a break in work**_ _ **and I started to write a few minutes every evening to prevent myself from becoming crazy and eventually I came up with this.**_ _ **I've been meaning to publish this story for a long time, I actually started putting down ideas a few weeks ago but I didn't want to publish it until I had already written a few chapters. So anyway, this is a completely AU story (of course I still don't own the characters etc) where Walter and Paige were in the same campus, like in my mind they are around 17 in this, and all of the characters of Scorpion will also make their appearance. None of what happened in the three seasons happened here, but of course I will always be inspired by the show to develop this.**_

 _ **As I said before, I already wrote a little which led me to a few chapters done and ready to be published. And my goal here is to keep this advance and be able to publish every evening or at least one out of two. This is really a challenge like I'm not even sure I have the ability to actually do this so it will mostly depend on you, like how reactive you are, and if you like this story you just tell me and I will do everything I can to keep posting very regular updates. Sure, as soon as I enter my exam period I'll stop it all and come back to it after a hiatus (like in the real show in fact ahah).**_

 _ **I don't know yet how many chapters there will be but it's going to be a really long story so the installment is quiet slow because this isn't meant to be a 5 chapters story you know (besides we're talking about Walter and Paige here, most frustrating otp ever). Although I can't promise I will be able to keep my rhythm for very long, I'd like to try.**_

 _ **All this said, here is the first chapter !**_

Walter O'Brien could seem like a normal man the first time you meet him. He was a thin young man, black curls on the top of his head, piercing and very expressive eyes, rather discrete but anyone who paid attention to him would find him good looking. So nothing abnormal so far… until he starts to talk. When he starts to talk, you're rapidly very much aware that Walter is far from being normal. In fact, Walter is a genius, with an IQ of 197, making him the fourth most intelligent human being alive.

So what people could wonder is : What such an intelligent man is doing in the University when he could easily be working for the NASA?

At least that's what Paige Dineen wondered the first time she ran into Walter. And of course none of their first encounter was due to hasard.

Paige was nothing like Walter. She has good grades but had to work hard for them when he didn't had to lift a finger to be major in all his classes, she was very popular and had a lot of friends when he was the most lonely man on the campus. But he didn't mind, he never felt this loneliness since he was always busy thinking about new problems to solve, and also he had his family to go back to at the end of the day. Of course Walter was often approached by other students, but none of them wanted his friendship. No they rather talked to him so he could help them do a paper, they would even sometimes offer money so he could do it for them and Walter accepted from time to time, because he needed the money to live since his parents were still in Ireland and he was in the United States.

Oh yeah, when Walter referred to his family he wasn't talking about his parents. They were erased from his life a long time ago and maybe they were related by blood but that was the only thing they ever shared. In fact Walter hadn't seen them for a long time now. He arrived in the US when he was seven, wanted to get emancipated at the age of 12 but of course this wasn't possible, even for a genius. So when she turned 20, and he was 15, his sister Megan came to join him and accepted to be his legal tutor. Now they were living together in a small loft above a garage, which Walter secretly planed to buy to make it his headquarter, for him and his friends, the other members of his family.

They were all going to different colleges but they were also all geniuses so they only had each other to rely on and Walter knew that even if he was sometimes mocked or persecuted during the day, he could deal with it as long as he had them to have his back. And they had always been here for now.

First, there was Happy. He met her during middle school and was rapidly aware that she was like him. So they grew close to each other in order to protect themselves from the mockery of the other teenagers. After what they never left each other and even if he never actually said it out loud, Walter considered Happy as his best friend. She was very much like him, abandoned by her biological parents, misunderstood by her foster ones with whom she didn't have any contact anymore, expressing very few emotions, preferring to work on a project with him rather than spending time in useless conversations. She had recently dropped school and found a job in a garage where she could exerce her gift for mechanic, at a much lower level that what she was worth but it was still a start for a girl her age.

Then there was Toby. The first time Walter saw him was when his host family of the time forced him to go to a psychiatrist. The patient before him was Tobias Curtis, and he managed to drive the doctor crazy by realizing his own analysis of the man's behavior. Walter's appointment had then been cancelled so he went to hang on with this young man instead. He discovered that he was also a genius and even if he hated to admit it, he found him quiet funny. Unlike Happy, Toby talked a lot, but Walter didn't mind because he almost never had to answer. It was fascinating how long could Toby make a conversation last on his own. Toby was different from Happy and Walter, probably more aware of the other people, but it wasn't always so good. He had a gift for putting himself in dangerous situations and the other geniuses often had to help him getting out of it. With the help of his friends, he managed to have an interview in Harvard and of course he was taken right away into the medicine section of the prestigious university.

And finally there was Sylvester. He was younger than the others and he had been kicked out of his family at a young age, having to live in the street for a while, which was even more difficult for him than for anyone else since he was an hygiene freak. At first we can think that he is afraid of everything but he actually has more courage than a lot of people. He went on TV to play a game in order to win money and get out of the streets, whereas he is really stressed in front of an audience. That's where Walter saw him and realized he was also a genius, so he contacted him to help him. Since then, Sylvester had been reached out by a research laboratory in mathematics and he went to work for them which allowed him to buy a small place in town but he kept in touch with Walter and loved to hang out with them.

So in fact, Walter could say he had everything he could ask for, and didn't need anything else. Except for one thing. Paige Dineen. As said before, Paige was nothing like Walter. Walter had never shown any interest in girls. He only knew his sister and Happy and didn't seem to be appealed by any other form of relationship with someone of the opposite sex. He tried dating once or twice, because some girl found it sexy that he was the lonely smart boy just like they saw in movies, but after spending time with him they quickly realized that he was far for being the ideal boyfriend. Walter didn't mind, he only tried it as an experiment but wasn't invested in it at all.

But Paige… She was different. He was obsessed by her. Of course she was beautiful and popular and was dating the hottest guy of the baseball team in the campus so Walter never dared making a move. But he recorded every single path of her on the campus since he first lay eyes on her and always manages to cross it, pretending to be absorbed in a book or just walking behind her. When he talked about it to Toby, he said that he was being a real freak and that Paige must be scared of him. But she was always busy talking with her friends and never seemed to notice him anyway. Or at least that's what he thought.

In fact Paige's favorite part of the day was when she spotted Walter, innocently reading or doing maths. Walter may not know it but he was famous all over the campus for his incredible grades. Paige's friends told her that he was a creep but she thought he was cute. She didn't know him yet she couldn't explain why she felt drawn to him. Of course she was happy with Drew, she had a lot of good friends, but she thought he was… different.

And the day of her 17th birthday, her secret wish that he would eventually speak to her was realized.

 _ **So this is kind of a prologue, to set the action and see if you're in with me? Feedbacks will be important for me since this story will be a lot of work, but I have the plot idea for like 40 chapters already (you can't stop inspiration when it keeps coming ahah) so all I have to do is write them ;) It's not going to be extra long chapter, but at least 1K words each, and also there won't be updates on episodes nights because I'm still writing one shots after each episode. Take care!**_


	2. Chapter 2

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 2

 _ **Thanks for the feedbacks on the first chapter, I'm glad to see you're interested in this story :) Enjoy chapter 2!**_

It was around three in the afternoon when she spotted him. She was outside, on this sunny day of May, all of her girl friends were talking about how pretty the necklace Drew offered her was, and what a romantic night they would probably spend. They were all laughing together, picturing all the possible scenarios of what he was planning for her. In fact, half of her friends were jealous that she was the one dating the hottest guy in the university. The other half thought that dating a bad boy was overrated (because of course, Drew was the perfect cliche of the bad boy who played sports, went to a lot of parties and skipped class every now and then to take a ride in his expensive new car) and were saying that someone serious was more appealing. But the thing on what they all agreed was that Drew was being very cute to Paige. He always offered her things and never minded saying how in love he was with her. Paige was in love with Drew too. In fact he was her first love, and even if things went pretty fast between them, she was learning to know him more and more everyday.

So one of her friend was saying that she could bet he was going to offer her roses, when Paige's gaze crossed Walter O'Brien eyes, and she suddenly stopped listening. He was sitting on a bench, but he was not fainting not to look at her this time. No, this time he was staring at her, and she couldn't detach her eyes from his. Of course she noticed before that he was charming, but this look he had, it was mesmerizing. She couldn't remember ever seeing someone with so much… _mystery_ in just one look. She liked to think that she was good at reading people by only looking in their eyes. You know what they say, eyes are a window to your soul. But Walter was incredibly difficult to read. It was like she could see that he had been through many very difficult things, and every single one left a print in his iris. And she strangely wanted to know each one of his stories. She was always a good listener, and she liked to be the one people trusted to talk to. Perhaps that was why she was so drawn to Walter O'Brien, because nobody on this campus ever managed to make him talk about him, so anyone knew pretty much nothing about him, except that he was incredibly intelligent. She was deep in this thoughts, while they were still starring at each other when one of her friends' voice made her look away.

 _« Seems like big brain would also like to spend the night with you. »_

 _« Let's find another spot, this guy freaks me out. »_ said another one.

Reluctantly, Paige was about to follow her friends but she saw Walter standing up and coming her way.

 _« I… Go ahead I'll join you in a minute. »_

Walter really had to gather his courage to go to her. But the previous night, Toby said to him that if he didn't go talk to her, he would come to the campus and do it himself, and he definitely didn't want this disaster to happen.

So he stood up and approached her, relieved to see that the other girls with Paige headed a different way. Before he could realize it, he was standing right in front of her, his mouth wide open. He stayed a few seconds like this, while she was looking amusingly at him, and he considered saying nothing and passing his way, in order to go burry his whole body underground, but he figured he would be looking like a total fool and even if it doesn't matter to him usually, with her it was not the same.

 _« Hi. »_

God, he's been meaning to talk to her for months and the only thing he can find to say is 'Hi'. He was such an idiot.

Paige's lips curved into a smile and he wasn't sure if she was mocking him or being nice.

 _« Hi. »_

« _I… I heard it was your birthday today so… well happy birthday. »_

She considered asking him how he knew it but since he was kind of stalking her, it would only be embarrassing for him. So instead she went for a simple answer.

 _« Oh thanks, that's really sweet. »_

She was acting totally casually right now but her heart was pounding so loud she was afraid he might hear it. And she had absolutely no idea why, she didn't even know him after all.

As for him, his face turned red and he started to turn his back on her, cursing himself mentally for acting like any other teenager. No Walter wasn't any other teenager, and he shouldn't be able to… to _feel_ these things.

 _« Hey you're Walter right? »_

He froze, surprised that she even knew his name, turned around to face her again and nodded.

 _« We should hang out some time. »_

He had no idea what this even meant. Was she saying hang out like go into some place? Some sort of a date? Or was she just saying that they could spend time together on the campus?

She was frustrated to see that he still wasn't talking but she figured that since he made the first step towards her she could encourage him a little more.

« _You see, today I'm pretty busy but tomorrow meet me on the campus so I can try to get more than two words out of you mouth. »_

 _« Uh… yeah… sure, sounds like a plan. Should I… I don't know give you my number or something? »_

 _« I'm pretty confident you know where and when to find me. »_ she teased.

Walter became even more red than he already was, if this was possible. So he hadn't been as discrete as he thought he was, and he was ashamed because Toby was probably right, he must have looked like a creep to her. But some part of him was glad that she noticed him and was actually acting friendly with him, not giving him the cold shower he expected.

 _« So I see you tomorrow then ! »_ Paige said, still smiling, before running back to her friends who where all giggling.

Walter still couldn't believe he had the guts to do it. Well, she did most of the talk but still… he was going to meet her the next day. And maybe they could even become _friends_. He never had any normal friends but something told him that Paige wasn't like the other normals, that she could actually be interesting, not boring like all the people he ever tried to have a conversation with. And going back to class, Walter did something he didn't genuinely do for a long time : he smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 3

At the end of the day, Walter walked into the garage, which he hoped would be his one day, and went straight up to his loft, still wearing a smirk on his face. He passed the door and was surprised to see that Toby was already here, chatting with his sister. Megan was often at home because she had a condition which authorized her to do her job with an remodeled timetable. Even if she wasn't one to self pity, Walter knew she was afraid that her illness progressed, but since she was the big sister and the one supposed to protect him, she never complained. She still managed to pass all her exams each semesters when she was still studying and she was allowed to a scholarship in addition to the one Walter already had for his brilliance in class, and then some financial help so that's what payed their rent. She was Walter's biggest inspiration. He thought she was so strong, and is biggest goal in life was to find something to cure her. But for now he didn't have a lot of money to make progress in his researches and it wasn't going to the university that would change that. He tried posting announces in the newspaper about fixing computers or giving private lessons of mathematics and science but he didn't have much answers. One time a woman asked him to help his son, who was in high school, with his studies but Walter rapidly went out of patience with the boy who couldn't understand a single thing he said and the mother told him that it was best if they found someone more pedagogue. After what he dropped the private lessons things.

But for now, what concerned him was that Toby was in _his_ apartment with _his_ sister whereas they were only supposed to meet later this evening.

 _« Why the hell are you here? »_

 _« Why the hell did you have this stupid smile on you face when you walked in here? »_

Toby absolutely loved to play the smart ass. And it was his specialty not to answer questions when he was asked something, and asking something else in return was like his special move. In fact Toby talked a lot but it was rarely about him.

 _« I'm not answering you question unless you answer mine. »_

Toby sighed. _« Well I just got bored. I already know everything we're going to do in class for the five semesters to come. I don't see the point of going to listen to things I already know. So I figured I'd come here and wait for you. »_

 _« Toby are you aware that Harvard will kick you out if you keep missing classes? »_

 _« They'll never kick me out as long as I go to the exams. I'm major in all the classes. I'm good for their reputation. Now your turn.»_

 _« What? »_

 _« I answered your question you answer mine. What was this satisfaction look all about? »_

 _« It was nothing. That's my normal face. »_

 _« Oh trust me Walter, you mouth forming a smile is definitely not your normal face. »_

 _« I'm not allowed to smile? »_

 _« Of course you are, I just want to know why you were. »_

Walter was about to answer but Toby cut him short.

 _« And don't tell me that it was for no reason. We are geniuses, we don't do things for no reasons. »_

 _« Fine, fine… I'm satisfied with myself because I'm… sorta hanging out with Paige tomorrow. »_

 _« Really?! »_ shouted Toby, _« Pal you asked her out? Man I never thought you'd have the guts, that's a shame I bet against it with Hap and Sly… »_

 _« You mean, Paige like_ _ **the**_ _Paige? The one you always talk about? »_ asked Megan.

 _« Hey I know you like to gamble but don't do bets on me! And well… there is only one Paige but for the record I don't always talk about her. »_

 _« Yes you do. »_ said both Megan and Toby in unisson.

Walter didn't mind answering. He just went to his desk, opened his laptop and started to work on a new software he was building. But Toby wasn't done with him. He sneaked into Walter's direction and sat on the corner of his office.

 _« So… you two are going on a date or something? »_

 _« No as I said we're just going to hang out. »_ answered Walter, still looking at his computer screen.

 _« And what about her perfect boyfriend? »_

This time Walter stopped what he was doing to look at his friend with an exasperated face. _« I said hang out Toby, not make out. »_

 _« Dude no one hangs out with someone of the opposite sex without something behind their mind. »_

 _« Sure they do. See you were just hanging out with my sister, as far as I know you're not into her. »_

Toby raised his eyebrow and took the face he has when he is about to say something that he knows will piss off Walter, but says it anyway because he has to much fun watching his friend enraged.

 _« And how do you know she isn't into me? »_

 _« I swear to god Toby I'm going to kill you. »_

Toby laughed and moved away from Walter to go crash on the couch.

 _« So you want any dating advices? »_

 _« For the last time Toby this is not a date. Now leave me alone would you? We were not supposed to see each other until 8 pm and I have some stuff to do. »_

 _« As you want 197. But don't complain to me if the girl never wants to see you again. »_

In fact Walter was very tempted to hear what Toby had to say. He wanted to make a good impression on Paige and his friend had far more experience than he had in girls. He even had a pretty long relationship with this girl named Amanda and when she dumped him for 'being a pain in the ass', he was heartbroken and said to Walter that he would understand the day he'll find love. Of course Walter thought that it was absurd and that Toby was over exaggerating, after all there was no such thing as love. Men of science like them knew it, what normal called love was irrational and they didn't believe in irrational things. For now Walter only wanted to be friend with Paige, right? But friend or more than this, he was really bad at interpreting girl's signals so maybe he should listen to what his friend had to say. And of course, since he was to proud to ask him anything this sort, he would have to figure it out on his own.

 _ **I hope you're still on board with this story, I'm keeping my advance on the chapters and I can't wait to publish what's coming next to have your opinion on it! :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 4

After classes the day of her birthday, Drew was waiting for Paige by his car, a bunch of flowers in his hands. She smiled at the idea that her friends bet on it and that he was so predictable. But it wasn't predictable in a bad way, no. In fact that was one of the things Paige really liked about Drew. She wasn't afraid that he might do something odd, or that he would want to impose her things he liked and she didn't. He was more interested in doing whatever would please her and being the perfect boyfriend. Paige was proud that he was like this with her, because he kind of had a bad reputation with girls before. He used to cheat on them and treat them like next to nothing, preferring hanging out with his squad. That's why she was reluctant to date him at first but she gave it a shot and was glad she did because it turned out she made him change. Some of Drew's best friends didn't like her because of that. They say that he isn't the same since he is with her and he shouldn't change for a girl but she didn't mind them because she knew the Drew that was with her, the better version of himself, was actually the real Drew.

So when she arrived in front of him, she passed her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

 _« I know I already gave you a gift but it's never enough for my girl. »_ he said, surrounding her waist with his massive arms.

Paige took the bouquet and inhaled the scent of it.

 _« They're beautiful, thanks Drew! »_

 _« So how about I take you to dinner birthday girl? All on me. »_

 _« I'd love that. »_

She gave him a hug, climbed into the car and turned on the music while Drew was starting the engine. David Bowie was playing on the radio so she turned the volume up and started to sing out loud, her boyfriend glancing at her with amusement. It was a sunny day so Drew had the car in convertible mode and he was driving a bit faster than the limitation so she could feel the wind hitting her face. She loved the feeling of freedom she had when Drew and her go for a ride in his car and he loved the way she wasn't ashamed of acting wildly when she was with him. The journey lasted the time of two other songs before they arrived at this small dinner in town, Kovelsky. It wasn't something too fancy, Drew was still a teenager after all and he couldn't afford to take her to an expensive restaurant, but she didn't mind, this was perfect to her.

So they took a sit, ordered burgers and french fries and engaged in small talks, mostly about Drew's season or the professors of the university.

 _« So um… I was wondering, »_ started Drew, « _if tomorrow you could skip class? There is some place I'd like to show you and I have training in the evening so it's better if we go during the afternoon. »_

Paige almost agreed without thinking but then she remembered.

 _« Oh… babe I'm sorry but tomorrow I can't. But any other day you want I'm in! »_

 _« Why can't you tomorrow? »_

She was tempted to lie to him and tell him that she had a test but she didn't like lying to him and she knew that if he found out it would only make things worse.

 _« I promised a friend I would hang out with him. »_

 _« Who's this friend? Anyone I know? Perhaps you could ask him to postpone your meeting couldn't you? »_

In fact she could, it wasn't like it was planned for a long time and she could easily say to Walter 'Silly me, I forgot I already had something today', but she somehow didn't want to.

 _« I'm sorry Drew, it was already planned but let's do this another day okay? »_

 _« Tell me who it is that it's so important you see him. »_

She could see he was about to loose his temper as the veins along his neck becoming more apparent and his tone was ice cold. She had never seen him like this. Probably because he never had any reason to be jealous before but she preferred defuse the bomb right away.

 _« It's Walter O'Brien okay? »_

To her surprise, Drew laughed out loud.

 _« Why the hell are you hanging out with smarty pants? This guy is a weirdo, I don't think he will mind if you just never show up. He seems quiet used to be alone. »_

 _« Don't be rude okay? He's my friend. »_

 _« Oh yeah? Since when? »_

She couldn't answer him 'since today'. He would totally mock her. She didn't even know why she told him that Walter was her friend. She just felt the need to defend him.

 _« We haven't been dating for a very long time you know, you don't know all of my friends. Besides as you pointed, Walter is very lonely, I just think he could use some company you know? You don't know what it is to have no one to talk to. »_

 _« And you do? Anyway do as you want, I'm not going to fight with you on your birthday baby. Besides, it's not like I have much to fear from a guy like O'Brien right? »_

At this moment, Paige realized that Drew didn't know her as well as she thought he did. But she stayed silent and started to sip her vanilla milkshake while Drew started to converse again about how many home runs he already did this season. To be honest Paige quickly stopped listening closely, only nodding and saying « Mmmh » from time to time to make it look like she was interested in what he was telling her. In fact her mind was elsewhere at this moment, picturing what it would be like spending the day with some genius.

When they were finished, Drew drove her back to her home but this time the ride was silent as they were both exhausted from their day. Paige thanked him again for everything he did to make her feel special this day, left a kiss on his lips and walked to her house. She sneaked in as Drew left and went carefully to her bedroom, not making any noise and not bothering turning the lights on.

It's been a few years since Paige last celebrated something at home, her birthday included, and she still wasn't going to celebrate this year. Of course when she arrived in her room, she immediately spotted the usual white envelope on her desk and opened it. As expected, there was some money in it and a note from her father.

 _« I hope you had a good day with your friends and you're not reading this too late. Here is some money, buy something that you like with it. I'm sorry I can't do better. Love you. Dad. »_

 _ **So I know that the Drew I wrote isn't exactly the one described in the show but just keep in mind that this is all happening before the series and that Paige is really in love with him (this is only the beginning of this story after all and I need to torture you a little before getting to the interesting stuff ahah).**_

 _ **Also, the thing about Drew changing for Paige is like an echo to how she changed Walter and made him aware of his EQ. I think that Paige has this issue where she keeps being drawn to men who are a challenge to keep. And that's also why I think she's never really been into Tim, he is too easy to get.**_


	5. Chapter 5

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 5

Today was a a big day for Walter. He never felt stressed about meeting someone before because he didn't see the point of being liked. He always had been himself with people and most of them found him unbearable but he never minded rejection. He was used to it after all, since when he was a kid, nobody ever accepted him as he was, except for his sister. Even his parents gave up on him, as they stopped trying to understand him or connect with him. Now he had a few friends but it wasn't the same, because they were like him, and the problem isn't to be accepted by geniuses (even if he probably could piss some of them off to), the problem is to be accepted by someone normal, someone like Paige.

He picked a nice blue shirt in his closet and dressed up. Walter wasn't one to be very careful about how he looked, in fact most of his clothes were bought by Megan and he just applied his notions of which color looked good with which other, but he had to admit he liked this shirt. It made him look well-shaped, even though he wasn't much of a sportive.

Again, he had no idea why he was doing all this… Trying to look great for a girl… That was so stupid. Besides the boyfriend of the girl in question was a hundred times better looking than him so it wasn't a blue shirt that would change anything. Walter was almost about to take off his clothes and put something more casual on but his sister walked in.

 _« Hey little brother. You look great today. »_

Okay, let's keep the shirt then.

 _« Thanks Megan, I have to go though I'm already late, but I see you tonight. »_

 _« Sure thing, have a nice day with… you know the girl you're not always talking about. »_

She gave him a wink and Walter couldn't help but smile. Of course if Toby would have been the one to say this he would have said that he was a jerk, but coming from his sister, well it was cuter.

Walter then run down the stairs and went out, taking a big breath before starting to walk to the college. But he barely made three steps that a voice stopped him.

 _« Hey Walter! Before you go I have to ask you something. »_

It was Sylvester, running after him and being all out of breath. The young man had stayed until late with Walter the previous night, both of them working on a formula and Walter had offered him to stay at night and since Sly was still asleep when he got up, he figured he would leave later in the morning.

 _« Can't this wait until tonight? I'm late already. »_

 _« Well it could but I know myself pretty well and if I wait I'll chicken out. »_

 _« Tell me then but be quick. »_

Sylvester started to rub the back of his head and looked down, searching for the proper words.

 _« Well… I figured that it was the right time to ask you something I've been meaning to ask for a long time since… You're actually experiencing dating yourself and… you seem in a good mood… »_

 _« What the hell are you talking about? I'm not dating. »_

 _« Yeah whatever you think you do with this Paige girl. So… um… »_

 _« Just spill it out please. »_

 _« Do you think I could ask your sister to go out with me? »_ Sly said in one breath.

« _What? Megan? »_

 _« Yeah, Megan, you only have one sister as far as I know. »_

Walter has his eyes and mouth wide open. He really didn't expect that.

 _« But… Why? »_

 _« Because I like her? I mean you of all people should know what a good person she is. »_

 _« Yeah I do but I just didn't… I mean she's older than you and… »_

 _« Okay I'm going to rephrase it. In fact it wasn't a question. I'm going to ask her out wether you like it or not I just wanted to tell you first because I figured… I don't know that you would appreciate. »_

At these words, Walter's look softened.

 _« Hey I do appreciate. I'm just surprised that's all. But I can't think of anyone better than you to date my sister. Just… you don't need to keep me updated you know. I'm not sure I want to know everything about this… »_

Sylvester now had a wide smile on his face. He hugged Walter, who awkwardly returned the embrace and went back to the garage.

Walter shook his head at idea of such a relationship under his roof. He wasn't exactly against it, in fact, he didn't really care if his sister and one of his best friends hang out together but he thought that it was strange, mixing people like this. After all they were from two separate worlds.

But so were him and Paige. And thinking of her, he looked at his watch and realized that he was really late for his maths class, so he started to run and mentally cursed himself because no matter what shirt he wore, he wouldn't look so great if he was covered by sweat.

Paige said to Walter that he knew where and when to find her, and it was true of course. So after two hours in class, Walter went to the building where he knew Paige had her history lesson and waited in front of the doors. All the people who were coming out were staring at him, most of them knowing that he didn't belong here, and Walter was looking for a familiar face in this crowd of unfriendly people.

Then he spotted her, looking at him, with the same smile on her face she wore the day before, and which he thought was making her look even more like an angel. Her too was thinking that he looked very great, and she looked a little longer at his messy curls that she found so sexy. Drew also had black curls, she always had a soft spot for men with curly hair. She approached him and he tried to focus, in order to look more confident than the first time they talked.

 _« Hey genius boy. I was wondering when you'd come see me. »_

 _« It's only 10 in the morning. »_ he stated.

« _Really? Cause it feels like I've been in this classroom for an eternity. Let's get out of here. »_

 _« What do you mean let's get out of here? I have a biology lesson right now, I was only coming to set the details with you about this evening. »_

To his surprise, Paige burst into laughter. And boy, her laugh too was something angelic.

 _« You're so cute. »_

Walter understood what she was intending to do and frowned.

 _« You want us to skip class? I can't, I'll lose my scholarship if… »_

 _« Hey nobody will notice, trust me. And if they do, I'll make you a fake paper saying you were sick. »_

She saw Walter was hesitating so she reached for his hand to drag him outside the building. She sensed him stiffen under her touch but she didn't break contact.

 _« Come on! You don't want to stay inside when the weather is so nice! Just relax. It's not like you need to follow these classes anyway, I bet you already know it all. »_

 _ **We're getting to a bit of sweet Waige stuff for the few chapters to come but it won't last long ahah ;)**_


	6. Chapter 6

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 6

 _ **Hey guys! It seems like there was a problem with the previous chapter. Although I uploaded well and it was posted and all, it didn't appear in the latest upgrades so if you don't follow this story, you might have miss it. Thus, before reading this chapter, make sure you have read chapter 5 :)**_

Paige was very satisfied with herself when Walter surrendered. He followed her out of the campus, staying very quiet but he kept glancing at her in a way that sent shivers to Paige's spine. She didn't mind that Walter wasn't a great talker because the silences between them weren't uncomfortable. Besides, she knew that it would take a few things to break his shell and she was ready to accept the challenge.

 _« So, where would you like to go mister O'Brien? »_

 _« Me? Oh I don't know… I let you choose. »_

 _« No way, I asked first. I want you to show me some place where you love going, somewhere you feel at ease. »_

Walter thought for a second about what place could fit this description. Of course, plenty came in mind to him but…

 _« I don't think you would have fun in the places I like. I mean… I'm a … a museum guy you see? »_

 _« I don't mind museums. But you're right I want to have fun today. So let's do this : I pick a dinner and we go there to eat some nachos with melted cheese, because I desperately want to have some right now, and it leaves you time to think about a good spot to go. If you don't find by the time we finished eating… well I guess I'll just have to go home. »_

Paige was really nothing like the other girls Walter frequented before. She was emanating something, something powerful, and it leaved him no choice but to follow her and rack his brain to find somewhere great so she wouldn't leave him when he was having such a great time. And it wasn't even started.

Paige took Walter to Kovelsky's, not that she was thrilled about going with him in the same dinner they always went to with Drew, but she didn't really know any other this good. Of course it was basic food but she was a regular costumer so the people working here were always greeting her and she liked her habits.

They ordered two cokes and these nachos she liked so much and for most of the time, Walter just watched her eat. He found her fascinating, she seemed to enjoy every single moment of her life and that was something he didn't know how to do.

Paige wanted to ask him a million questions but she restrained herself for now, she was rather looking at him with a teasing smile, raising one eyebrow after the other. After a while, he smiled back, and he even let escape a small giggle but he had no idea why. Paige was thrilled to see she could crack him open. Even though she thought he always expressed a lot of things with his eyes, he was always keeping a very stoic face. And she thought that he should definitely smile more because it made him look very well. Handsome in fact.

When she finished eating, Walter remembered something Toby said once about being a gentleman and paid for everything. Paige pretended to refuse at first but he didn't have to insist much for her to give up.

When they were out of the dinner, Paige grabbed Walter by the arm and rested her head on his shoulder. He was still surprised every time she engaged physical contact because he wasn't used to it, and he even always thought he couldn't stand it, but with her, past the suddenness the first times, it rapidly became pleasant and warming.

 _« So, have you decided where we're going now? Or should I leave? »_

 _« Um well… there is this place at the beach where my sister and I go… it's not very… fun in fact but it's the only place I could come up to that fit your description. »_

 _« The beach it is then! »_

Walter guided her to this corner of beach he often came to with Megan, to watch the sunset or just to spend an afternoon far from all the troubles they could have sometimes, and sat as Paige removed her shoes and socks. He thought she was going to stop there so he was astonished when she also took off her jeans and her top, leaving only her bra and matching panties on. Before he could ask her what she was doing, she run to the water and dived in a wave.

 _« Come on Walter! Join me! »_ she shouted so he could hear her.

Walter looked around him but there was almost no one. He was thinking that the water was probably not really hot but Paige was waving at him and he couldn't say no. So he undressed too and went in the water with her. They played for a few minutes but it all became too chilly quickly so they went back to firm ground and since they had no towels, they had to wait that the sun dried them.

Walter was really enjoying this day, more than he thought. He never imagined that he could have fun in another way than doing equations or riddles, but Paige proved him wrong. Yet something was still bothering him.

 _« Paige, why are you doing this? »_

 _« Doing what? »_ she said, her eyes still closed and her head tilt back to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

 _« Hanging out with me. Don't get me wrong, I'm really having a good time. But it's just that… no one normal ever wanted to spend time with me. No one cares about me, because I'm not amusing or interesting. So you know, if you do this because you pity my lonely self, I would understand if you don't want to meet me again. »_

While he was talking, Paige straightened up and looked at him. It broke her heart that he could think of him this way.

 _« I'm not doing this as an act of conscience Walter. I'm hanging out with you because I thought you were intriguing, and you deserved to be discovered. And I don't regret it, from what I'm seeing today you're a nice person. I don't understand why people don't talk to you more. »_

 _« Come on, you're saying this to be nice… »_

 _« No I mean it! You should think higher of yourself Walter. »_

Walter didn't answer, and didn't dare look at her either. He was so moved by her words, because no one ever paid attention to him this way, except his sister. Paige didn't want him to close down again so she thought it might be the right time to ask him some questions about himself.

 _« So, there's something I've been wondering about you. Why are you in college when you could easily be working for Homeland or something like this? »_

Walter froze at the word Homeland, but he decided to move past it and give her the short version.

 _« Well you see, first there is my scholarship, I have to go in class if I want to keep it, and then there is my nationality. I'm not American, I'm Irish actually so I can't give up school if I don't want to be sent back in Ireland. For now I have the status of foreign student and when I graduate I can try to find work and obtain a green card. »_

 _« So… you didn't move here with your parents? »_

Another touchy subject… Walter never really talked about it with anyone, even with his closest friends. They knew better than to ask questions about his family. But who knows why it was so easy to open up to Paige.

« _I… sort of cut all the bridges with my parents a while ago. Now it's just me and my sister. And I don't want to see them again. »_

 _« Tell me what happened. »_

 _« That's a long story. »_

 _« And we still have plenty of time. Come on Walter, you said that people don't find you interesting but maybe it's because you don't talk to them enough. »_

Walter finally got the courage to gaze at her, and she looked very encouraging. So he took a deep breath and decided to give her the full story after all.

 _« Okay, I'll tell you everything about why I'm here without my parents. But I just need you to promise you'll believe me. I swear that even if it can sound crazy all of this is true. »_

Paige nodded so he started all from the beginning.

 _« When I was a kid I couldn't connect with my parents. They were normal people you see, and they couldn't understand me. I was miserable, beaten up at school because all I knew to do was outsmarting people. One time when I was seven I got bored and I hacked the NASA to get their blueprints for my bedroom. They discovered it of course and some Homeland agents came to my house and asked me if I'd like to come work for them. I was only a child back then, but I immediately seized this opportunity to get out of this place I hated so much. My parents didn't hold me back. Some guy in Homeland took me under his wing and helped me develop my abilities as much as I could. I respected him a lot, he was being a father figure to me… »_

Walter had to pause, overwhelmed by all these memories coming back to him. Paige noticed and started rubbing his back with her hand.

 _« You're talking about him in the past. What happened? »_

At first Walter didn't answered so she thought she had been pushing her luck. But eventually he started talking again.

 _« He gave me all the means to build a software. I spare you the details but in the end, they used the software I had made from A to Z to do a drone attack in Bagdad and a lot of people were killed. I… I felt so betrayed you see… I don't ever want to hear from them, or from him again. I'll never make up to the world the wrong things I have caused. »_

Paige was really affected by Walter's story. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him that it was okay and that it wasn't his fault but she was never confronted to such a situation, she just couldn't imagine what words could comfort him.

 _« Okay I think it's time to go home now. »_

They were both dry now so they dressed up and leaved the beach. Walter escorted Paige to her place and then came the awkward moment to say goodbye. Luckily for him, Paige continued to take things in hand.

 _« Thanks for today Walter, I had fun. »_

She hugged him and strangely, he didn't have so much trouble hugging her back, unlike this morning with Sylvester.

 _« Well I… I should be the one thanking you. I never… had an afternoon like this. »_

 _« You'll have another one tomorrow. My father gave me some money for my birthday, I want to go buy something nice. Come pick me up here at 2 ! »_

 _« What? No, no… I can't skip class two days in a row! »_

 _« Of course you can. Do you realize it looks less suspicious if someone don't go in class for two days than if you just skip lessons from time to time. You can pretend you were sick for two days, you can't pretend you're always sick. »_

What she said actually made sense.

 _Okay then I… guess I'll see you tomorrow? »_

 _« Sounds great to me! »_

And with that she left a small peck on his cheek and went inside her house, leaving Walter wondering if this was all a dream.

 _ **Longer chapter than the ones before! I just love writing young them so much, I mean I have a lot of fun writing this story, I hope you're still on board with me! As I said in the previous chapter, things are rather smooth for now and it'll get angsty at some point but I didn't mean like right away (for now enjoy the sweet chapters coming). Keep in mind that if you're in with me, you're in for a loooong journey which will eventually lead to canon Waige but we're not here yet ;)**_

 _ **As always, reviews are appreciated, especially with this story, knowing how you feel about it keeps me motivated for regular updates :) On a side note, if the storyline of Walter's childhood isn't exactly coherent with what they tell in the show, don't mind me. Remember it's an AU story so everything is possible ;)**_


	7. Chapter 7

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 7

The next day, Walter was in front of Paige's door at exactly 2pm.

When he came home after their first time hanging out, Toby was waiting for him with a grin on his face. He insisted to have all the details about Walter's day and even though he had been very evasive, it didn't take a genius to understand that it went well. Toby declared that Walter was finally discovering feelings like a real human being, but Walter still doubted that. Of course he enjoyed spending the day with Paige, and she made him feel different, but in a good way. But still, he was only doing this because… because what exactly? It bothered Walter that he wasn't able of putting his finger on a good reason as to why he wanted to be friend with Paige so much. Because like Toby said, geniuses don't do things for no reason.

Anyway, after an hour of his genius friend analyzing him and blathering about geniuses EQ, Megan and Sylvester came home too. It seemed like they also had a good day, but frankly, Walter didn't want to know more. Sure he was… happy for them but it was so awkward to see his sister dating.

She also asked him about his date with Paige and he had to repeat for the hundredth time that it wasn't a date and that his intention with Paige had never been romantic.

Yet here he was, in front of her door, wearing another of his sister's favorite shirt, wondering if he looked or smelled good.

When Paige got out of her house, she was happy to see that Walter was already here, looking anxious as always. She gave him a friendly smile and he immediately relaxed. There was something about her smile, like it would protect them from anything that could happen around them, putting them both in a bubble, just the two of them and for a moment nothing else mattered.

 _« Glad to see you're here. »_

 _« You said 2, I'm never late. You're late on the other hand. It's 3 past 2.»_ he answered matter of factly.

 _« Well let's get going smart ass. We don't want to lose anymore time. »_

Walter never liked people talking about him with nicknames referring to his intelligence. Because very often, it was used ironically to mock him. But that was something else he didn't mind Paige doing. In fact he was okay with anything she might do or say, because he found her hypnotizing in her every moves. He may say that he is unable to feel anything, the truth was that he was under her spell, and he was forgetting all logic when he was with her.

So without thinking more, Walter followed her downtown and she brought him to a thrift shop where they sold vintage clothes as well as regular ones and all kind of accessories which Walter couldn't find useful. Paige was very enthusiastic and looking everywhere to find something she liked.

 _« Are you um… looking for anything specific? »_ Walter asked curiously.

Paige swung around and looked at him with amusement.

 _« Of course not. Where's the fun in that? I'm waiting to see THE thing that's gonna make me give away my money. »_

 _« I… don't understand. »_

 _« Don't you? »_

 _« No I don't. When I need a shirt I go to a shop and buy a shirt. Same thing if I need jeans, or a tie, or anything else. »_

Paige repressed, not with difficulty, her smile and faked a sorry face.

 _« So you always plan everything? You never leave place to surprise? That's quiet sad actually. »_

Walter thought for a moment and reached the conclusion that she was right. It's been a while since he planned every single thing of his life and knew exactly what he wasn't going to do the next day. Well except these past two days of course. He smiled, thinking that this was the right answer.

 _« You weren't planned. »_

 _« What do you mean? »_

 _« I never imagined two days ago that I could be shopping with you but here I am. I'm always surprised when I'm with you. »_

Paige bit her bottom lip, touched by his words. She didn't imagine that he could say something so sincere and that it would move her this much. There was an awkward silence between them and Paige knew she had to change the subject.

 _« I have an idea! You pick up something for me and I buy it. »_

 _« What? Oh no I'm terrible at… »_

 _« Come on! Just chose something you like. »_

Something he likes. Walter had no idea what he liked. He was pretty sure that anything would look good on Paige, but he didn't want to make a fool of himself by picking something she wouldn't like. So he was about to protest again but Paige knew better than this.

 _« You're a science guy right? »_ He nodded. _« So just think about… I don't know how well done is the geometry of a pattern, or how the color would be a good association with my skin color. »_

He was amazed buy how little they knew each other yet how well she knew how to talk to him. It was like she had known him for years.

 _« Okay I can do that. »_

Walter then looked carefully at the items in front of him. He examined each one of them, wanting to find the perfect one. Paige was watching him with amusement. She found him incredibly cute when he was focused on something, with his frowned eyebrows and his mumbles to himself.

Then Walter came up with something. It was a light summer dress with black and white aztec patterns.

 _« I… I think you'd look great in this. »_

 _« Oh I love it Walter! Come on, I'm going to try it! »_

She took him by the wrist and guided him to the changing room. She went in as he waited for her outside, glancing around, not sure why he was suddenly so uncomfortable. He stood in front of the cabin for what seemed an hour to him, until Paige finally came out.

The dress looked perfect on her, marrying the shape of her body but still not revealing too much. She looked perfect. In fact he had never seen something this perfect in his whole life. It exceeded all the science things he could ever find perfect. At this precise moment, he forgot everything about science. It was only her. God he couldn't believe that she just had to put a dress on to shut his genius brain down.

Paige could feel her skin burning under the gaze of Walter. Even Drew never looked at her this way. She felt… adored by the young man standing in front of her.

 _« So um… I guess I'm going to take it. »_

Walter got out of his embarrassing thoughts and just nodded. So Paige went back in the cabin to change back and then they went to pay before getting out of the shop.

Walter was still a little uncomfortable but he gladly followed her to a bar where they bought milkshakes to go. When they were walking, she passed her arm around his waist and leaned a little into him. She had always been a very tactile person and Walter wasn't used to it but he very rapidly found out that he craved her touch. So in response he put his own arm around her shoulders, imitating the gestures he had seen couples do. At this point he realized that in fact they really looked like a couple, and that it was probably wrong since she actually had a boyfriend. But he couldn't help liking the idea of people thinking they were together.

They didn't talk to each other for a few minutes, just walking and relaxing under each other touch. Then Walter remembered something Toby said about small talks. He never saw the point of it but he was willing to try with Paige.

 _« So Paige… I… I told you a lot about… my family and all last time. It's your turn now, tell me about you and… your family you know. »_

Paige didn't expect it. She never thought he would ask her something like this. She guessed that was why she felt so well with him. Because she didn't have to talk about her, and he wouldn't ask her either. But she was wrong. Ans she might feel at ease with Walter, she wasn't ready yet to talk about her family. She never talked about it with anyone in fact. Not Drew, not her friends, she kept it all for her.

 _« Well um… I don't have much to say. I'm just a regular girl you know, living with my dad, no siblings and that's all. Not interesting at all. »_

Walter wanted to ask her why she was living with her dad only and where was her mother but he noticed she was evasive in her answer so he thought it was better not to insist. Paige appreciated that he didn't push her. Maybe he had to wait a little before she could trust him enough and tell him her story. After all they only knew each other for two days, even if it felt like forever.

 _ **The dress Paige buys is inspired from the dress Katharine McPhee wears one the promotional photos for Scorpion like the one I used to illustrate this story because I think she looks great in it (of course she's a gorgeous woman and looks great in everything) :)**_

 _ **Thanks for all the comments you make on this story, I have so many ideas, this story isn't even close to end!**_


	8. Chapter 8

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 8

 _ **So apparently there is still a problem with the hour of the updates, like when I post a new chapter it's on the website, the people who follow the story have a notification and all but it doesn't appear as updated in the more recent stories. So again, if you're reading this, you might have miss the previous chapter and I suggest you go check it. If someone know anything about why it does that to me please PM me, It is just very frustrating to see that I have a lot less readers on some chapters because there is something wrong with my updates (still, a big thank you to everyone who still read the previous chapters and left me very kind reviews). I hope that this one worked well and that it won't prevent people from keeping following this story. Not bothering you any longer with this, here is chapter 8 ;)**_

Two weeks had passed and Walter and Paige still hung out from time to time on the campus, even though they hadn't spend a whole afternoon together since this time at the thrift shop. Paige finally took Walter's phone number and she texted him a lot, to talk about everything and nothing. Walter liked this relationship, it didn't need him to do too much he couldn't do. He was more and more comfortable being himself around Paige, because she didn't mind his strange habits.

Sometimes at night she texted him to watch a specific movie, she put the same on her computer and they watched it together remotely. He pointed out every incoherence in the film and she would retort that this isn't about coherence but about what it makes you feel. Walter didn't feel nothing watching movies but he would leave her the last word because he didn't want to argue with her.

Of course there was still Drew. When Paige didn't text for a whole evening or answered hours later, Walter knew that it meant she was with her boyfriend. That was also why they didn't see each other for the past two weeks. Apart from his trainings, Drew was spending every second he could with Paige. They had been dating for 6 months now and Paige sometimes caught herself wondering about a possible future with him. She pictured herself as a book writer, married to a famous sportsman and they would have a little boy who would be very intelligent but would also play baseball in the garden with his father.

Of course she was too young to start a family now but that wasn't something she was afraid of either. She was actually looking forward to it, because she wanted to prove herself that she could raise a child better than she was raised and that she wouldn't repeat the same mistakes her mother made.

She was wondering if Drew would do a good father though. Of course he couldn't handle these kind of responsibilities now, he was too young, but maybe in the future he would make a good dad.

Then she would think about Walter. She also pictured him as a dad and it made her laugh. He wouldn't be bad for sure, but he would be clumsy and all.

Paige liked how things were between Walter and her. There was a lot of things she couldn't speak about with Drew because she thought he would mock her, like the time he laughed at her when she tried to explain him she feared abandonment. He was always very gentle with her, but she kept finding him new imperfections, like the fact that he didn't seem to understand when she wanted to talk about serious things.

So she turned to Walter, and he would always listen and try to understand what she meant, even if he had troubles assimilating some things.

He didn't stalk her anymore in the campus, because he knew he could speak to her whenever he wanted now. She kind of missed it but it was probably for the best, because since she mentioned his name to Drew, her boyfriend was being more suspicious towards the young genius and his intentions.

Anyway, this day, she spotted Walter alone at a table for lunch and decided to sit in front of him. When he lifted up his head and saw that it was her, he opened his mouth and the fermented fish he was currently eating in his own Tupperware fell from it to go crash on his knees.

 _« Hey Walter, how you're doing? »_

Walter closed his mouth and cleaned his pants before answering.

 _« Um well, fine thanks. You? »_

 _« I'm okay. »_

They stared at each other for a while, both of them not sure if they were expecting the other to say something.

 _« So, you want to meet me somewhere tonight? We could go to the cinema and finally really watch a movie together or something? »_

 _« What about Drew? »_

Paige didn't like that Walter always reminded her of her boyfriend when she wanted to see him. His tone always made her feel like he didn't approve her relationship with Drew when he didn't even know him.

 _« He's on a competition in Santa Barbara. »_

 _« So I'm your substitute when he isn't around? »_ Walter asked bitterly.

Paige clearly didn't expect that. She knew Walter needed a lot of insurance that he was really her friend and that she genuinely liked him but she never imagined that he could think she was playing with him like this.

 _« What is that about? »_

 _« Sorry it… it came out wrong. It's just that I would appreciate spending real time with you, not only texting but you don't seem to have much time when_ _ **he**_ _is here. »_

 _« Well, you should try asking me. Maybe I could have made time for you but I don't have to be the only one to suggest things. »_

She had a point there. The two times they spent the evening together, she was the one planning it and she was always restarting the conversation when they texted. Walter felt ashamed to have been cold with her when she clearly didn't deserve it.

 _« Anyway, you let me know. »_ said Paige before leaving him alone at his table again. He didn't try to hold her back. Maybe he should have. But by the time he realized it, she was already nowhere to be seen.

It bothered him all evening. Of course Paige was right, if he wanted to be friend with her, he should behave like a friend. But he never knew how to do that. Before they put in place daily meetings with his genius friends, they could sometimes spend days without speaking to one another, they just knew that it wouldn't change anything to their friendship. But with someone normal, the connexion had to be fed so the person wouldn't find somebody else to have fun with. And Walter didn't want Paige to get bored and find a new weird friend. So he took his phone of out his pocket and started typing a message.

Paige was in english class, still thinking about her sort of altercation with Walter. She knew he wasn't used to making effort in order to have a friend. But he couldn't just expect her to guess when he was in the mood to hang out and be mad at her if she didn't offer.

Suddenly, she felt her phone vibrate and couldn't help but smile when she saw that it was a text from 'Genius Boy', as was Walter named in her repertory.

 _« Sorry I've been an ass. Meet me at the bus stop after class? »_

Paige wanted to apply the « I don't answer right away to make it look like I'm still mad and the boy has to apologize more » technics but she knew better than this when it comes to Walter O'Brien. He wouldn't understand and besides, she didn't want to play with him. So she just answered simply.

 _« Okay, see you then. »_


	9. Chapter 9

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 9

Walter was waiting at the bus stop, as he said, nervously shaking his leg. Paige approached him and he immediately stopped his movement. He looked at her expectantly, obviously waiting for her to say something.

 _« So, what should we do? Movies? »_

Walter sight in relief. He was glad she wouldn't bring up their earlier conversation.

 _« Actually, I… had plans with my friends tonight so I was thinking that maybe you could… come to my place with me and meet them? »_

Paige paused to consider his offer and when he saw that she wasn't answering, he cursed himself. Of course, this was a strange proposition. It made it look like she was his girlfriend and he wanted to introduce her to his other friends. Adding to this that his sister would be there. Oh boy, this seemed way too formal, he should have sticked to the movie plan. You just don't show up at a friends night with a girl who's only your friend. There must be some social rule he didn't know about saying that it's weird. Why the hell did he have this idea anyway? Toby would be here and he would make all kind of embarrassing comments and Paige would just assume things and would want to stop seeing him.

Paige was touched that Walter wanted her to meet his friends. He talked about them a few times and they really seemed to be interesting people. But she didn't want things to be weird either, like first of all she knew his friends were all geniuses and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to catch up or fit in with them. Then she didn't want them either assuming things about Walter and her. Because people who don't know about Drew could totally misunderstand the situation between them given how they interact. Besides, it wasn't outside, or in a bar, it was at his place, his own private environment.

But then she thought that they were almost grown ups and that there was no law saying that you couldn't go to the place of someone of the opposite sex without wanting anything else than his friendship.

 _« We should get going then, we don't want them to wait for us right? »_

Walter was about to argue that they were probably not arrived yet so technically they couldn't be waiting for them but he thought it was better to just keep his mouth shut this time.

Also, they were at a bus stop and the bus in question was going their way, but Paige started walking anyway. Walter knew that Paige liked walking home and didn't really enjoyed public transports so he didn't say anything about that either and started following her.

She didn't know exactly where he lived so after a while he starting guiding her and they finally arrived to his home.

They had to pass through the garage to reach his apartments and Paige was surprised about how big the place was. There was even a caravan in a corner.

 _« Is this all yours? »_

 _« I wish it was._ _But no, we don't have the money to rent the whole place so our lodger keeps downstairs to store his stuff. I live in the studio upstairs. »_

Walter led her to his loft and when they arrived, he was surprised to see that his sister wasn't there, but that Toby was seductively talking to Happy on the couch. For the past few weeks, Toby's goal was to take Happy on a date but she wasn't one to be easily convinced so she kept finding new excuses not to go which made Toby want to try the challenge even more.

But that wasn't the point here. The point was that they were _alone_ in _his_ apartments.

 _« Where is Megan? »_

Toby jumped of surprise at Walter's voice.

 _« Pal you scared me, announce yourself when you come in a room or I don't know, just clear your throat… »_

 _« I don't think I have to make my presence noticed in my own loft. Now, where is Megan? »_

 _« Who's this beautiful girl with you? Is this Paige? »_

Toby knew exactly how to drive Walter crazy and this was working for his greatest amusement. Happy looked at the scene with raised eyebrows, doing inner bets with herself as to when Walter would start shouting and Paige was observing from behind Walter, curious to know what he told his friends about her.

 _« Toby for the last time, if you don't want me to have to ask Happy to kick you out of here, tell me where my sister is. »_

 _« Okay okay… I surrender. She's on a date with Sylvester. They'll be back later. »_

Walter didn't know why he still felt surprised every time Megan and Sylvester went out. After all they had done it regularly for the past two weeks and Sly seemed to be more efficient than him in making moves with a girl.

 _« And how did you get in here without me or Megan? »_

 _« Walter, do you still underestimate Happy skills to unlock any door? »_

Walter stared at Happy who looked embarrassed and wanted to change the subject as fast as possible.

« _So Walter_ » she started, _« won't you introduce us to you girl? »_

Paige saw Walter's face turn red and stepped forward, deciding to take things in hand.

 _« I'm… I'm not his girl. I'm just Paige, his friend. »_

 _« Well that's very nice to meet you just Paige, Walter told us a great deal about you… »_ said Toby before getting kicked in the ribs by his friend.

 _« Ouch! Why are you doing this? It's true that… »_

 _« Shut it Toby, you're going to make fools of ourselves in front of Walt's new friend. »_

Walter gave Happy a silent thank you and turned back to Paige while Toby went back on the couch.

 _« So uh… Since we didn't go to a movie, maybe we can watch one here? »_

 _« Don't let him pick it's going to be terrible! »_ shouted Toby from where he was.

Paige was bitting her lips to prevent from laughing during the whole scene because she didn't want Walter to think she was mocking him, she just found him interacting with other people very amusing.

 _« I was thinking that maybe… If you brought me here to see your friends it was to actually have the chance to talk with them. You can't do that watching a film. »_

Before Walter could answer, Toby spoke again.

 _« Excellent thinking Paige. I like you already. Why don't we just all sit here and talk? I can start if you want. »_

 _« I bet you can. »_ said Walter. _« But okay, as you want. »_

So Paige and him went to sit next to the other two and Toby took this opportunity to get closer to Happy and pass his arms around her shoulders, which he regretted immediately from the punch he received in the shoulder.

After that, he started to talk about Harvard and how he met Walter and Paige was listening carefully, eager to learn new things about her friend. They spent at least an hour in small talks, before Toby had the idea to do the post it game, where you stick a post it on your forehead with the name of a celebrity on it and you have to guess who you are. They had a lot of fun watching Walter trying to find out that he was Elton John when he had no idea who this was and Happy had to explain Paige that Walter wasn't a great fan of pop music, or of music at all (except from some jazz).

After a while, they heard noise coming from downstairs and thought that it was Sylvester and Megan coming back. And indeed, they arrived in the room less than a minute later. But a third person was with them, someone Walter immediately recognized. He could never forget a face, even less one that betrayed him.

 _« What the hell is_ _ **he**_ _doing here? »_

 _« Oh hi Walter, this man arrived here the same time as us, he said he knew you and needed to talk to you. He said his name was… »_

 _« Cabe Gallo. »_ said the man. _« It's been a long time boy. »_

 _ **Yay, introduction of a new Scorpion character! I actually made plans for all of them to show up at a moment or another of this story :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 10

 **Ten chapters already :) And I'm not even close to stopping ! I'm already seven chapters ahead I have so many ideas to make it last long !**

 _« Go away. »_ said Walter in a voice so cold that it even froze Paige to her bones.

 _« Please son, I need to talk to you. »_

 _« Don't ever call me son again. And I don't want to hear what you have to say. »_

Paige guessed that it was the Homeland man Walter told her about. He looked truly hurt by Walter's words and didn't seem at all like the monster he described. He was a middle aged man, with already a lot of gray hair but still in very good shape, probably from working out. His features were hard but the look in his eyes softened it all. Paige could recognize this look between a million others. It was the paternal one, the one every father looking after his kid had. She was starting to feel bad for this Cabe fellow but then remember how he hurt Walter and decided it was probably not her place to judge him.

 _« I should leave you to it Walter, I'll see you tomorrow? »_ she whispered in his ear.

Walter wanted to hold her back, and tell her to stay. He didn't want to talk with Cabe and would rather spend more time with Paige. But he figured she must be uncomfortable being in the middle of his privates matters so he let her go.

 _« Okay. »_

Paige waved everybody goodbye and left the studio.

 _« She's pretty. »_ the Homeland agent commented.

 _« What do you want? »_

 _« Can we talk somewhere more private? »_

 _« They are my family. They are allowed to hear everything you have to say to me. »_ answered Walter.

In fact he didn't want to be alone with Cabe because he didn't know what he might do. He was holding so much resentment towards the man that he thought it was best to keep his friends around him to prevent him for making something stupid. Or worse, he was afraid that he would forgive him and let him play with his feelings again. He felt stronger surrounded by his friends. Of course besides Megan, none of them was aware about the things he's done for this man. And even his sister only knew the bulk of the story, she had never seen Cabe before or heard his name, actually that's probably why she let him in.

 _« Okay kid… First of all, I have a lot of apologies to say to you. »_

 _« You already tried that. I thought I made it clear I don't want them. »_

Walter had never been so hard with anyone. But geniuses can't forget it when people do wrong things to them. That's what makes forgiveness so hard for people like Walter. No matter how many days, weeks, years pass, the memory is still as present as the first day. Walter also remembered all the good things Cabe did for him of course. He almost raised him, helped him reach his full potential, and was always someone the younger version of him looked up to. He was the dad his biological father never was to him. And that what made the betrayal even more painful. The man in front of him planted a knife on his back, he was responsible for all of Walter's sleepless night, thinking about all the people that were killed because of something that came out of his genius mind. He convinced him that his IQ was a gift, only to bring him back to when he thought it was a curse.

 _« I didn't know they were going to use your software for this purpose, I swear. And I'm sorry I couldn't prevent them for doing this. If I could go back and change things… »_

 _« Do you know how many nights I passed up here, wishing that you had never founded me?! »_ shouted Walter.

 _« Oh and maybe you think this was easy for me? That after what happened I just went back home and slipped peacefully on my two ears? »_

 _« Why didn't you quit homeland then? »_

 _« Because people make mistakes. And they have to pay the price. And the best way for me to fix my mistakes was to keep my job. I can't think of a better way to help people. »_

Before Walter could reply again, Toby cut them.

 _« I'm sorry but can any of you enlighten us about what's the situation here? »_

Walter turned to his friends, thinking that it was a poor time to tell them this story, but that he didn't have much of a choice now.

 _« I already told you that I came to America to work for Homeland right? »_

 _« Yeah, but you never told us why you stopped though. »_ commented Sylvester.

« _Well, to make it short, I made a software for them, only they hadn't told me the real purpose it was going to serve and it ended with hundreds of dead people. »_

 _« Not good. »_ commented Happy.

 _« Look Walter, I saw your ads in the newspaper, you clearly need money. And I want to help you, you would just have to accept to take small jobs for the governments. You would be well paid. »_

 _« I'm never working for these traitors again. »_

Megan who stayed passive during the whole discussion, only observing the exchange stepped in.

 _« Listen, I don't know you but you seem quiet sincere… »_

 _« Thank you, I just want to… »_

 _« Although, my brother has other preoccupation right now. He needs to finish his junior year, and I think he made it clear that you are not welcome here for the moment. So I'm asking you to leave now and to let him sleep on it. »_

Cabe looked sad and discouraged but nodded.

 _« Okay… just… think about it Walter. We have the opportunity to fix all the wrong we didn't want to make. »_ He then took a card out of his pocket. _« This is my private number here. Just give me a call if you change your mind. »_

Walter hesitated for a few seconds but then took the card. After what, Cabe left without saying more, leaving Walter in the middle of his friends, all looking at him as if it was the first time they ever saw him. They all wanted to ask Walter tones of questions about what exactly happened, what was this software and all, but even if they actually did it, he wouldn't be able to hear them. He was too lost in his thoughts right now, already repeating the conversation with Cabe and making lists about the reasons he should listen to him and the reasons he shouldn't. He went to lock himself in his bedroom and the others decided that it was better to leave him some space for now so they went back home. Toby thought that it was a shame that it happened the same day he met Paige because it made him miss the occasion of teasing Walter. But given the way he saw them interact, he was pretty confident that there would be plenty more opportunities.

 _ **Not so sure Toby is right to be this confident… just saying ;)**_


	11. Chapter 11

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 11

 _ **So just a little disclaimer before getting to it, this chapter contains some vague mention of sexual activity. I didn't want to change the rating to M though because it's really really not detailed but you're warned.**_

After leaving Walter's apartment, Paige wandered in the streets for quite a long time. She had a lot on her mind and she liked walking as the sun was going down to clear her mind. This had been an… interesting evening. At first she had been afraid to meet Walter's friends. She knew they were all like him and she was afraid not to fit in the middle of geniuses. But they made her feel like she actually belonged here, and she really had fun in the end.

Then there was the arrival of this man, Cabe. She didn't know why but she immediately wanted to trust him when she saw him. And she doesn't trust people easily. And even if she didn't have the opportunity to hear what he had to say, her first impression on people were rarely wrong. It was hard to believe that this man had hurt Walter on purpose. Speaking of which, she decided to text him to ask him how he was, even though she didn't expect him to react in the minute because he always has a lot on his mind and unless she manages to keep him interested, it always takes him hours to answer.

After a while, Paige realized that she unconsciously walked to Drew's house. She didn't want to go home, she was avoiding spending time there as much as she could, so she hoped that her boyfriend would be here. Drew had the chance to live alone in a small apartment, because his parents lived too far from the university so any time Paige didn't feel like staying at her place, she could come to him and they would spend the night together, talking about anything but family.

Paige knocked at his door and it wasn't long before he opened. Drew seemed surprised to see her but he didn't ask her why she was here. The reason was always the same, and he learnt during their time together that he shouldn't push her unless she felt like talking.

So he let her in and just had the time to close the door behind her that Paige was already all over him, cutting his breath short with passionate kisses.

Paige and Drew were not dating since long when they had sex for the first time. It was the very first time for Paige, whereas Drew already had several partners. But he was really sweet and careful with her and she never felt so adored. Since that time, they engaged intercourse regularly and they both learnt how to please the other and Paige couldn't say that she had ever been disappointed.

This time was a little different though. As much as she wanted to, she didn't manage to fully commit into it. Drew didn't notice it fortunately, he just did his thing, and when he came into her, Paige caught herself picturing what it would be like to have sex with Walter.

He heart skipped a beat when she realized that. Oh boy, what was she doing? She loved Drew, deeply, but she couldn't help feeling absorbed by Walter's world. There was nothing she could do about it, it was like gravity.

After Drew pulled out, she pretended to be tired so they wouldn't have pillow talks and she closed her eyes, rapidly falling into a half sleep.

Paige didn't know how much time passed when Drew woke her up, but it was still night outside.

 _« Paige, we have to talk. »_

He had a very serious… mad even, look on his face so it immediately got Paige out of her sleepy state.

 _« What is it? Anything happened? »_

 _« Actually yeah something happened. You received a text at 2 in the morning. I wanted to know who could text you at such a time and I saw it was 'Genius boy' and that he was okay and 'thanking you for the evening together even if it didn't ended as he wished'. »_

Paige heartbeat fastened when she realized what just happened and she was slowly panicking, not knowing what to say to Drew.

 _« Then I was intrigued so I looked at the whole conversation. Are you fucking kidding me Paige? What game are you playing with O'Brien? Because that's him right? I mean who else could it be… »_

 _« Yes that's him but I'm not playing any game Drew I swear. He's just my friend. »_

Drew was beginning to lose it again. She only had a small glimpse of it when he got angry at the dinner but something told her that he could get way worse than this.

 _«_ _ **Just friends ?!**_ _Don't play the smart girl with me Paige, I've known enough girls to know what it looks like when you're flirting. Why the fuck would you be flirting with this guy? I thought… I thought you just pitied him, you needed to feel good about yourself or any shitty idea that got through you head that would eventually pass with time but_ _ **this ?**_ _Really? »_

Paige's eyes were starting to feel wet. She didn't like Drew referring to Walter as such a poor guy, not worth of any interest, but she knew that if he read every texts, he had reasons to be jealous. She was the one in fault there after all, she shouldn't have grown so close to another guy when she already had a boyfriend.

She felt awful about herself, a small voice in her head repeating ' _Cheater'_ , even if she didn't do anything this sort. It was probably accentuated by the fact she had been thinking about another man while having sex with her boyfriend, which was usually a bad sign. If she was honest with herself, she knew that if Walter had tried to kiss her, she wouldn't have backed off, and she hated herself for it. She never wanted to be this kind or person.

Tears were flowing on her cheeks now and she had to gather her energy to talk.

 _« I'm so sorry Drew. I never meant to… hurt you. I love you. I hope you know that. I love you… Don't be mad at me. »_

At her words, Drew's look softened and he took her head between his hands to wipe out the tears on her cheeks.

 _« Hey don't cry baby. Shh… I'm sorry I yelled at you just… I need you to stop talking to this guy okay? Just think about it, the poor boy must think he has his chances… You know it's better this way. Just the two of us. »_

Paige throat tightened at the idea of stopping talking to Walter. She didn't want to, but she didn't want to lose Drew either. And after all, they had been together for longer than Walter and her were friends. So she sniffed and wiped her eyes before timidly nodding.

Drew took her in his arms and she rested her head on his chest, feeling his every breath, slowly calming down. Even if it would be very hard for her to stop every contact with Walter, Drew was her shelter every time things went bad in her life and she needed him right now.

 _ **So, I knooooow… You'll have to endure a little bit more of this torture with Drew before we get to the happy things. But I promise it will be okay eventually, I just need a little bit more angst to make to good parts even better :)**_


	12. Chapter 12

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 12

 _ **Hey, thanks everyone for all the positive feedbacks and comments on this story! I have slowed down a bit my writing rhythm because you know … this thing called work… but I had a few chapters ahead so I can keep posting regularly for now. Late post today, I had to referee a basketball match and it took me hours to get home. So sorry if there are any typos, I'm tired so I didn't double checked this chapter. Enjoy :)**_

The next day, when Walter arrived on the campus he immediately looked out for Paige. After the events of the previous night, Walter stayed alone in his room until morning and still didn't talk to anyone before heading to college. He realized that there was just one person he wanted to talk to and it was Paige. He knew she wouldn't try to psychoanalyze him like Toby would, or that she wouldn't ask a million questions. She would just listen to him, and then they would do something or go somewhere to change his mind.

When he spotted her with Drew, he was a little disappointed, because he knew that would make things way harder. Walter couldn't help feeling a strange feeling in his guts when he saw they had their fingers intertwined. When Paige was with him, he often tented to forget than she had a boyfriend, but he was real, and from an objective point of view, he was handsome, and they seemed very much in love.

So he just stayed a few meters from them, staring at her back and maybe she felt his heavy look on her because after a few seconds she turned around and gazed at him. Her eyes looked so sad, it broke his heart. He wanted to go and asked what was going on but he restrained himself because he didn't want Drew to see him. So he just waved at her, hopping for a sign from her that would reassure him, but instead she just looked away, going back to Drew with a smile, as if everything was okay. But Walter knew this smile was fake, he saw it.

After that, he was determined to find her a moment she was alone during the day so he could talk to her but it seemed like she was avoiding him. He knew exactly what class she had and when, and she knew that he knew, and yet it was impossible to find her. Then he thought that maybe she felt sick and went home so he tried to call her but it went straight to voice mail. At the end of the day, Walter was starting to really worry so he decided that he would go check at her place, but there she was, talking with her friends. He almost ran to her, forgetting everything about being embarrassed in front of the other girls.

 _« Hey Paige! I've been worried about you! I couldn't find you all day and you weren't answering me. Are you okay? »_

Paige froze at this. She thought that she could just avoid Walter all day and that it would be easy. After all she always had to make to fist step before so if she stopped coming to him, he would just assume that she grew tired of him, even if it broke her heart to do that to him since he told her that he thought that everyone eventually gets bored with him at some point. She didn't want to prove him right, because it wasn't true, but she had to do it. Anyway, she hadn't realized that she had already made him improve, and that she earned his trust faster than anyone.

Paige took Walter by the arm to go aside and talk privately. He followed her and when she dared looking at him, she saw he was really looking at her with worried eyes as he waited for her expectantly to give an explanation. She took a deep breath and repressed the tears she felt coming up. She couldn't cry, it would take off all the credibility she was trying to compose right now.

 _« Look Walter um… I'm really sorry about this but I think we should stop seeing or… talking to each other. »_

He didn't understand. He thought she was different, that she actually cared about him.

 _« Wh… what? Why? »_

Paige bit her lip, thinking that she would never come up with a good explanation for this. There wasn't any good way to do this.

 _« I'm sorry I just… I can't. »_

 _« If you do this at least be honest with me please. If after all you realized that I was fun for a few weeks but that I end up being this annoying thing you can't get rid of, that I'm not this 'interesting' anymore, I can hear it. Believe me I've heard things way worst. »_

Paige couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She knew it would be hard, but she didn't imagine it would be _this_ hard. As he said, they only knew each other for a few weeks. But yet she felt like she had known him for years, like they were meant to meet. And after all the abandonments he already lived, she felt terrible to be one more.

 _« It's not that Walter. I really don't want you to think that. You're an extraordinary boy and I bet you'll become an even more extraordinary man. »_

 _« So why? I don't understand. »_

Of course he didn't. His mind wasn't made to decrypt emotions, it was made to process facts, and she was giving him nothing but facts. So she had an idea.

 _« Okay Walter, you're a science man, you know how the moon gravitates around earth? »_

 _« Yeah I could tell you a lot about that like the speed of… »_

 _« That's not my point. So the moon, she is clearly attracted by earth. But at the same time, they never collide you see? »_

Walter was about to develop her scientific explanation when he realized what she was really talking about. It wasn't about the moon, or earth. It was about them. It still made no sense to him though. She wasn't a satellite, and he wasn't a planet.

 _« Is it about Drew? »_

Paige sighed. He might not be very good at reading situations like this, but he could still pick the obvious. She cursed herself, it would have been way easier if she had just been honest when he asked her to.

 _« Yeah… kind of. »_

 _« Okay. »_

 _« Okay what? »_

 _« Okay I won't interfere. I don't know what's going on between you two but my guess is that he was the one asking you to stop talking to me. And since you're… doing this… Anyway just do as you want Paige, I'll respect you decision. And if you change your mind well it's not like I'm going to make any other friends around here so… »_

Paige was surprised and… a little disappointed. She thought she was being an horrible person thinking that but… she would have liked Walter to fight a little. But he wasn't like this, he didn't trust himself enough to fight for someone. Without thinking, Paige hugged Walter. She knew it wasn't the last of her and Walter O'Brien. But for now she had to keep her distances. So she took a few steps back and stared at him for a few more seconds before turning her back on him.

 _« Hey Paige. »_

She turned around again to face him.

 _« Thank you. »_

 _« For what? »_

 _« For making me feel appreciated. And making me realize that different could be good. Even if it was only for two weeks. »_

He wanted to add that it was the best two weeks of his life but strangely these words never managed to get out. Maybe it was because he was wondering if she had been faking it. He had been understanding but he was still a little bit mad at her. Because she told him, several times, that she wouldn't let him down, and yet she was bailing on him like everyone else did before. She smiled sadly at him a last time and he finally let her go.

Maybe he made it look like he was okay with this, but it was only to make it easier for her. In fact he was crushed. And there was only one thing he could do to go back to feeling nothing now. He had to go home, dive into a problem, and let science do the rest.


	13. Chapter 13

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 13

 _ **So here is a chapter to start setting the installation of future Quintis moments to come ;) Enjoy it !**_

Walter arrived to the garage quickly as ever. He had never been one to take his time to come back home, but today he made a new record. He knew that for a fact because he counted the seconds in his head. He really wanted this day to end. It was really painful to realize that he actually had emotions in that exact moment but now he knew it. With anyone else than Paige, he would have shrugged, saying that he didn't exactly care if she wanted to stop talking to him. But anyway, he wouldn't have started talking with anyone else but her.

As Walter arrived in his loft, he was still repeating to himself that it was going to be okay, that he was a genius and he didn't need the affection of normal people. He always managed to make his life without useless emotions interfering, and it wasn't going to change today.

Of course, as soon as he opened the door, Toby was all over him.

 _« Hey Walt! What happened? »_

 _« Are you going to make a habit of being in_ _ **my**_ _apartment without me? And what do you mean what happened? »_

Toby pointed at Happy, who was sitting in the couch, to make him understand that both of them intruded _again_ in his loft without the keys.

 _« Well you are back to your normal face. I'm disappointed you know, I started to get used to you smiling. »_

Walter didn't mind answering, he really didn't want to talk about Paige now, even less with Toby.

 _« You know I might as well give you a spare key, what do you think? »_

Toby and Happy looked at each other with a guilty look on their face.

 _« Um Walt… How do you think we get in there every time? »_

 _« Well Happy unlock the door with her mechanic skills or something? »_

 _« Yeah that was fun… for about two seconds. We kind of… Already did a handmade spare key. Really simple. »_

Another day, Walter would have got mad, but he didn't have the strength to now.

 _« Oh. Just ask me next time. I would have said yes you know. »_

 _« Well sure, but… »_ started Toby before suddenly stoping to stare at Walter with a surprised look. _« you're not yelling at us? »_

 _« No, why would I? I'm not a dictator okay, I would have preferred if you asked, but I trust you and besides it's not like there's anything valuable here. »_

Walter wanted to go to his bedroom in order to be alone but this time Happy's voice cut him short.

 _« Wait, who are you and what have you done to Walter O'Brien? »_

Walter rolled his eyes and face his two geniuses friends.

 _« I'm not in the mood to fight with you. I had an exhausting day so either you two go back to your places, either you stay here and you leave me alone, but I don't want to have to kick you out. »_

 _« We have the key to come back anyway. »_ mumbled Toby, which earned him a death stare from Walter. This last went to lock himself in his room and Toby didn't dare insist so he went to sit down besides Happy.

 _« You know what I think? »_

 _« I don't, enlighten me. »_

 _« I think that our friend here has a broken heart. »_

Happy laughed at this statement.

 _« Hey, you might want to rethink becoming a behaviorist. I know Walter from longer than anyone else except Megan and trust me, he can't have such thing as a broken heart. I'm not even sure he has a heart actually. »_

 _« Now_ _ **my**_ _heart is broken. Listen, I know that you two don't believe in love, but you'll have to open your eyes someday, love is real, love is all around. »_

 _« What are you doing? We're not in a Troggs song you know. »_

 _« Yeah, I watched Love Actually yesterday, sorry. But that's not my point. My point is that Walter loves Paige. He just doesn't know it yet. »_

 _« You really think so? »_

 _« Come on, have you seen the way he was looking at her yesterday? It was obvious. But of course, from what I know, Paige has a boyfriend. »_

 _« Not good. »_ the mechanic stated.

 _« Anyway, you see this situation made me think. »_

 _« Oh boy, do I really have to listen? »_

 _« Yes, please. »_

Happy made a sign to show that she was ready to hear what Toby had to say.

 _« You see, these past days, people changed around here, and all for the same reason. Sylvester and Megan started dating, Walter brought us his new_ _ **friend**_ _… But the thing is, he was too late, and I don't want to have to be in his situation so… before it's too late… okay I'm gonna say it right now… Would you accept to go on a date with me? »_

Happy knew that Toby and her got along well, and he already tried to take her out a few times these past days, but she didn't expect him to be so persistent. She had troubles trusting herself, and just like Walter, she didn't think that she was worth of people's interest. At least not this way…

 _« No. »_

 _« What do you mean no? »_

 _« Well I thought that was pretty clear. I don't want to go on a date with you. It's not going to work. »_

In fact she wanted to say yes, but the protective mechanism she put in place years ago to prevent from being abandoned again were all working one by one.

 _« How could it_ _ **not**_ _work? We already spend most of our time together, it would be the same thing but in a restaurant. »_

 _« Hey, you asked me a question, I answered. »_

But Toby wasn't even close to give up. He had tried to ask her out for months and had faced a series of rejection but this time he wouldn't let it go. He was the most stubborn man on earth (maybe second right after O'Brien) and he couldn't drop it this easily. So he moved in order to be in front of Happy and bent one knee.

 _« I am begging you, just give me one night and if you still think that it can't work I'll leave you in peace for the rest of your life. »_

 _« Okay, okay… I'm willing to go through one evening with you if it means you'll drop it then. »_

Toby stood up again, a satisfied smirk on his face.

 _« By the way, you looked quiet desperate here. »_

 _« I know it's worth it. »_


	14. Chapter 14

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 14

 _ **(Again the same problem with the update date, I think it comes from when I update 2 chapters in less than 24h, so make sure you've read chapter 13 :))**_

Paige thought that her week couldn't get worst than it already was, but she was underestimating life. It already had been a rough couple of days, she had to deal with seeing Walter's hurt face every time their path crossed in the campus, and Drew… well he wasn't the same. Of course he was still nice to her and all but he was becoming… overprotective. She was mad at him for reacting this way because she did everything he wished and still she could see that he didn't trust her. He was getting suspicious over nothing and insisting that they do tons of things together even when she wasn't in the mood to. It's not that she didn't like spending time with Drew, but it was becoming exhausting, and when she tried bringing up the fact that they can't go out every night, that they still have to study and pass their exams, he would just answer _« Come on babe, we only live once! »_

Drew felt that Paige wasn't fully committed into their activities, but that would only make things worse, because he would ask her to decide what they would do next, when the only thing she wanted was to go home and sleep. But he would insist and she would end up making out with him on the back seats of a movie theatre or going to an amusement park when she stopped being amused by it.

She seriously considered leaving him, but after putting a lot of thoughts in it, she decided that it was only a bad moment in their relationship and that she would be a coward to end things as soon as something went wrong between them. What is broken can be fixed after all, right?

On Thursday night, she finally managed to convince Drew that she had to stay home because she had a test the following morning and she had no idea what it was about. So he dropped her in front of her house after school and told her they would see each other in the morning.

As usual, when Paige opened her door, she tried not to make any noise so she wouldn't be noticed. But something on the small commode in the entrance room triggered her attention. It was a letter, addressed to her, and she could very much recognize the handwriting. It didn't have a stamp so she figured it must have been delivered by hand. And it wasn't predicting any good.

She went to the living room to find her father on his armchair, in front of the TV but she could see he wasn't really looking at it so she turned it down and positioned herself in front of him, her hands on her hips.

 _« Oh honey you're there. Your mom came by today. »_ her father said with a wide smile.

 _« Yeah I'm aware of this. What did she want? Did she ask you for money again? »_

 _« She leaved a letter for you. I think you should read it. »_

She was definitely wrong, her week could get worse.

 _« Dad how many pills have you take today? »_

He never answered, instead he started talking about how Paige's mother would come back again soon, and that they would be a nice happy family again.

Paige knew that it would never happen. Her mother gave up on them years ago. She started disappearing for a few days in the beginning, not giving any news and coming back as nothing ever happened. Then it became more and more frequent, and her absences were more and more longer. At some point, she had an affair with another man and when Paige discovered, she stopped talking to her and asked her never to come back again. Apparently she didn't listen, she was showing up once in a while to ask for money, or for a shelter the time of a night. And of course her father never had the strength to say no so these nights, Paige just went to sleep at a friends or at Drew's. Her dad slowly drifted into deep depression and his doctor made him stop working and gave him some pills, but he was often abusing it, leaving Paige all by herself to deal with everything : the groceries, the paperworks…

She was about to tear the letter in pieces but her father grabbed her wrist.

 _« I think you should read it before doing this. »_

She wanted to tell him than she never wanted to hear from this woman again, that she was a virus tearing them apart and that she couldn't understand how he could still forgive her every time she came back after all the wrong she did to them. But she tried arguing with him before, it led nowhere. He would just shut down and sink deeper into his own grave.

So in order to please him, she opened the letter and read what garbage her mother invented again to excuse herself.

 _« My sweet little Paige,_

 _I was not far from home today so I came by to say hello but your father told me you were in class. I couldn't stay longer because I have some important business in Vegas, and I'm sorry I couldn't see you. I saw pictures of you on the fridge, you are changing so fast and you're so beautiful._

 _I know I missed you birthday so to make it up to you I gave you some money on your bank account._

 _I want you to know that I miss you and… »_

Blah blah I'm sorry blah… Paige heard this story before, she wasn't buying it anymore. She made a mental note to transfer the money to her father account, or to use it to buy him new clothes before stuffing the letter in her pocket. She would throw it in the fireplace later, when her dad would be asleep.

 _« You see? She's busy with work but she will come back soon. She told me. »_

 _« Yeah sure dad. How about I make you a nice little dinner and then you go to bed okay? »_

 _« Sounds nice. »_

 _« And I want you to stop taking these pills. It's shit. »_

He nodded in agreement but she knew that he wouldn't stop. Well at least she would have tried. After that, she went to the kitchen and started making dinner as she heard the TV turning on again.

Next week will be better, she told herself.

 _ **So, this chapter is a little aside from the development of the 'Waige' part of the story, because I wanted to give you a few more elements about Paige's situation at home, and besides it will probably be important in future chapters ;)**_


	15. Chapter 15

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 15

Walter had spend a shitty week. He was back to being the misanthrope boy no-one would talk to and before Paige he never minded, he didn't need to be noticed in college because those who matters to him were not here. But now something was missing, the little piece of unpredictable and out of the ordinary she brought was gone. And he realized that you never know how much you're appreciating something until you don't have it anymore.

The worst thing was to have to cross her path sometimes on the campus. Sometimes he just wanted to go say hi but then he spotted Drew not so far and he would lower his head, hopping that he would go unnoticed. Other times he would just think that he dreamt it all and that he was still the weird guy stalking Paige, fantasizing that she was friend with him for a time. It felt so unreal after all. He didn't even know anymore if the glances he thought she threw him were also products of his imagination.

Of course his friends tried to comfort him, at first they would come up with a bunch of difficult problems to solve, their own way to help him. But they rapidly stopped when he started spending more and more time alone doing maths, afraid that it would make him go down the rabbit hole. They saw him go there a few times when they started hanging out as a nerds band, and they had such a hard time bringing him back to reality every time that they made sure he never came across something to tricky to solve. At first Walter complained, saying that it wasn't fair to prevent him from dealing with things worth of his IQ, but when his relationship with the other members of what he like to call his 'cyclone' became more than a common interest for sciences, they made him understand that it was for his own sake and he learnt to deal with his frustration.

So for the past nights, they just often came to his loft to hang out with him, play chess or working on the computer Walter was building because he didn't have the means to buy one that would match all his informatics skills. It kind of started to work actually, and Walter managed to distract his mind from Paige, but in exchange of sleepless nights and dark circles under his eyes.

One morning, as Walter was up early (or really late, considering he didn't get any sleep once again) and Megan was still asleep, he saw his sister's phone ringing and curious, he looked at the ID of the caller. He saw that it was his parents calling on face time and he hesitated for a few seconds. He knew that they were calling Megan on a regular base to check on her and even ask how he was doing but he never wanted to talk to them, despite the many times his sister offered. So he didn't know what got him this specific morning but he felt the need to answer. Maybe it was because he learnt from his brief friendship with Paige that he should try to open up a little more, maybe it was because Cabe came back in his life, bringing with him all his old demons, making him wonder what why things went so wrong from when he was a child. Whatever it was, he indeed picked up the call.

There were a few seconds before the connexion was established and when the image steady itself, he was able to see both of his parents sitting next to one another, seeming rather shocked to see him.

 _« Walter? What are you doing? Where is Megan? »_ said his dad, still lacking the tact he never had with his son. Of course he always preferred his girl. She wasn't weird and he could easily connect with her.

 _« Hello to you too. I'm going to find her since you don't seem so thrilled to see me. »_

He saw her mother giving his father a slap on his shoulder.

 _« No Walter please stay with us a few minutes. I'm so happy to see you, it's been quite a long time. »_

 _« Two years, five months, twenty-one days since you last saw me on a face time. »_

He saw his father rolling his eyes backwards and was beginning to regret answering the call. He knew his dad and him annoyed each other big time. So why on earth would he impose that to himself. Maybe he was seeking uncomfortable situations to get his life a little unpredictable again.

 _« Yeah well you've change a lot. You're becoming an handsome young man! »_

Her mother had always tried harder. It had been tough on her that her son couldn't take any form of physical touch, because she liked to hug her children but he knew deep down she never gave up on him and he felt a wave of guilt taking over him for putting her in the same bag as his dad.

 _« So how are… um… things going in Callan? »_ he tried, having no clue about how to do small talks with his parents.

 _« Great, not much change you know, and I'm pretty sure you remember all of it. But tell us about you Walter, you didn't give us news in so long… Of course Megan keeps us update on how you're doing but we'd like to hear it from you, right Sean? »_

 _« Mmh sure… »_ mumbled his father.

 _« Well um… I'm doing okay, I made friends here and I am doing great in school too so you know… everything's fine. »_

 _« What about this girl Megan told us about? Are you dating her? What was her name again, Payton? »_

Oh boy, Walter couldn't believe his sister told them about Paige. If it was awkward talking about random things with his parents, talking about a girl was the worst thing he could imagine. Maybe he could just end the call and pretend that there was a reception problem.

« _Don't bother with this Louise, our son his too socially inapt to get the girl anyway. »_

He had been waiting for it in fact. The straw that would break the camel's back, innocently dropped by his so called dad.

 _« Her name is Paige and no I am not dating her but she's been better at understanding me that you will ever be Sean. Although I don't think that matters much to you since you kept wishing you had a son that would enjoy fishing instead of doing equations. »_

His father looked a little hurt at his words, and his mother was on the verge of tears. She never liked to see them fighting, but at this point Walter didn't care. After all she always picked his father's side. Maybe he was right putting her in the same bag on a second thought.

 _« Maybe you should let us talk to Megan and go calm down son. I don't think this is how you address to your father. »_

 _« Whatever, you've never been a father to me anyway. And Megan is asleep. But don't worry I'll make sure she calls you back. Bye Sean, bye Louise. »_

And before they could answer, Walter ended the call. He still had no answer about why he did that. It went exactly as expected and he ended the call with even more resentment towards his parents than he already had. Maybe he thought he was ready to have a normal talk with them but he still wasn't. Maybe he would see them again someday, even go back to Ireland.

But this time was far from him for now, as he had other preoccupations in mind.


	16. Chapter 16

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 16

 _ **This chapter is dedicated to Quintis shippers, I never really wrote anything centered around them so I hope that this will be satisfying. As for the Waige rooters only, well I need to make every character grow in order to develop this story further ;)**_

Happy was nervously checking her watch every two seconds, waiting in front of the restaurant Toby picked up for them. It seemed really expensive and she had no idea how he could manage to offer her something like this. She prayed that he wasn't planning on outsmarting the waiter, or worse, that he didn't earn the money he would be paying with in a dishonest way.

Happy checked her watch once again. Of course he was late, this man couldn't keep a promise. A part of her was almost expecting him to never show up. Maybe he did this as a joke that only his twisted mind would find funny, maybe he chickened out or maybe he realized that he didn't want to go out with her after all. People say that the unreachable appeals, but once you have it, you rapidly lose interest in it. Another part of her wished that she was wrong, because she sort of got caught into her friend's 'game' and she realized when she was dressing up that she in fact really wanted to be here with him. It was true that these past weeks Toby and her had grown closer and they almost spend all of their time together since Toby never went to school and Happy, well she had her job at this garage but she was doing it so well and so quickly that she often finished her day way before her official schedule.

Then here he was, running to her, his shirt coming out of his jeans on one side, his tie unsuccessfully tied, his hair all messed up. Happy's resentment about his retard swept off instantly as she couldn't help finding him kind of cute.

As for Toby, he had to take a break to catch his breath when he spotted her. Partly because he had been running like his life depended on it to come, but mostly because Happy put on a dress… It wasn't nothing too fancy, just a simple long black dress, but she actually looked radiant.

 _« Happy… you… this dress… I… wow. »_ stammered Toby. He couldn't put words on how he felt seeing her like this. Well, he could, but he wasn't sure she would be so pleased to hear it.

 _« You're late. »_ stated Happy.

 _« Yeah I'm so sorry, I was feeling so tensed I took a bunch of pills to relax and I fell asleep. I was already late when I woke up, I came here as fast as I could. »_

 _« You're twelve minutes late and you live nineteen minutes from here if you take a cab. How did you… »_

 _« Don't even ask. »_

Toby tried to style his hair a little before offering his arm to Happy. She hesitated a second but ended up taking it. If she was doing this, she could as well do it thoroughly. At least that's what she said to herself when she decided to dress up for this.

The pair entered and Toby excuse himself to Happy to go talking to a waiter. He tried to be discrete but she saw very well that he slipped down a few dollars in the other guy's hand.

A few minutes later, they were installed at a nice quiet table for two, with a lit candle on it. Happy wasn't exactly comfortable with all these dating formalities, but Toby made sure to reassure her by doing imitation of how Walter would look like trying to have a romantic dinner with someone. It made her relax to imagine that her friend would be even worse than her at this and after that, she asked Toby if they could not talk anymore about the other members of their little team because after all this night wasn't about them. The young man gladly accepted and they engaged in small talks about Toby's childhood or Happy's work.

Everything was going on perfectly during the dinner, Happy forgot that she hated dating as Toby was growing more and more fond of the girl sitting in front of him. At some point, Happy had her hand casually resting on the table so Toby started to bring his own closer, in order to put it on top of the girl's one, but he was cut short by a violent slap on his shoulder. He turned around, ready to shout at whoever did that when he saw the man and froze. The guy was tall and massive, probably on his 50s, his hair plated back and a look in his eyes that immediately made you understand that he wasn't the kind of man you want to mess with.

 _« Hey, isn't that smarty pants, paying a nice little restaurant to his girl with the money he stole me. »_

Happy got up, looking back and forth between the two men.

 _« Who are you? What is he talking about Toby? »_

 _« It doesn't matter who I am. Your asshole of a boyfriend owes me big. »_

 _« Hey come on pal, why don't you sit down and we talk this through? »_ tried Toby.

 _« Did you really stole money? »_ Happy questioned, not sure if she should be afraid or help the man kick her friend's ass off.

 _« Of course not! The mount here is simply pissed off because he is too dimwit to understand that he can't win at poker against me. »_

 _« You cheated! »_ the man shouted, making all the people in the restaurant glancing at them.

 _« Hey easy tiger, some people are trying to eat around here I mean maybe we should postpone this little talk and… »_

 _« Shut up, the little lesson I gave you last time didn't make you memorize that I feel like punching you when you start being annoying like this? »_

So that was the story behind his black eye, Happy thought. She figured that he must have messed with someone but he never wanted to explain what happened.

 _« Dude let it go, we both know you're not going to hit him in front of so much witnesses. »_ she said, starting to lose her temper too.

 _« You're right girl. I am here too for a dinner after all, not to fight, so I'm going to make you an offer. »_

 _« I'm not sure I will like it but I don't have much of a choice here. »_

 _« Right. So I'm going to give you an address, and tomorrow you can either come with the 15,000 dollars you owe me, or you accept to play a few poker games for me against some wealthy people. Everything you earn goes to me, you make no benefits. »_

 _« And if I don't come? »_

 _« Then I will find you and I won't be as kind as the last time with you. »_

 _« Okay… I will sleep on it then. »_ said Toby before cutting off a small glimpse of his towel and write a number on it. _« Here is my number, you just text me the address and I'll stop by if I don't have anything else to do. »_

After what, Toby got up, put out a few dollars out of his pocket and left them on the table and made a sign to Happy that they were leaving.

He escorted her to her place and before saying goodnight, Happy asked the question that burnt her lips since the man came.

 _« You really made 15,000 dollars playing poker? What happened to it? »_

 _« I lost almost all of it in a casino. Made a miscalculation in one of my gamble. »_

 _« Are you kidding me? What are you going to do then? »_

 _« Well it's obvious, I'm going to play for the man. I don't see any other option. »_

Happy wanted to protest, but she knew he was right. There wasn't other option. She took a few steps back and murmured a good night before going inside her apartment, not looking back at Toby once. Before the incident, she would have easily accepted a kiss from him before going to sleep, but it made her realize that he was too immature, and that she couldn't burden herself with his ability to put himself into troubles. Not now, she wasn't ready.


	17. Chapter 17

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 17

Once again this week, Paige went at Drew's after school. She was now spending more time there than in her own house, but she liked things this way. It was reassuring for her to be independent and see she could take care of herself. Her relationship with Drew was starting to look more and more like an adult one, as they were practically living together, and she was even doing the groceries for both of them and all, except for the fact that Drew still had teenagers concerns, meaning sports and parties. Paige on the other hand had been changing a lot these past weeks. She used to like to go out all the time, going to big parties with a lot of people, but now she was more seeking for something she never really had… a family. She wanted to be surrounded by people who really liked her and with whom she could share anything. Things between the two of them were better though. Drew wasn't imposing her things anymore, they both did their things when they felt like it and met later to spend some quality time together. Truth to be told, Drew already forgot their little argument about Walter, it never meant anything to him. But Paige hadn't forget. There was still this little voice in her head, almost always here, reminding her that she missed the genius company.

On a Saturday afternoon, as Drew was playing on his brand new playstation and Paige was casually leaning on his lap, she remembered that she had a meeting at the bank. So she suddenly straighten up and started to get her shoes and jacket on.

 _« Where are you going babe? »_

 _« I almost forgot I had this bank meeting. I want to transfer the money my mom gave me to my dad's account but I can't do it online since I'm a minor and I don't have my dad's code. I'm going to see what they can do about it like give me a procuration or something. This way I could manage his operations for him. Makes me think, I should even look into the process of being emancipated. I mean I'm already doing it all on my own. »_

She didn't know why she talked so much, his question was simple and didn't need such an elaborated answer. But she was nervous, she couldn't even remember where she started feeling nervous around Drew, and when she was nervous she always talked too much.

 _« Hey slow down honey. Why would you want to give the money you mother gave you to you father? It doesn't make any sense. »_

 _« Yeah well you don't know my mother so believe me when I say it does. »_

Drew frowned and finally pu his video game on pause to glance at Paige who was putting some makeup on.

« _Why don't you never talk to me about your parents Paige? I mean how do you expect me to understand why you want to be emancipated when all you told me is that you live with your dad and your mother comes from time to time to give you some pocket money. As far as I know they're cool folks. »_

Paige brutally stopped her rushed action and stared at her boyfriend like he was a total stranger. She knew he could lack tact, but did he really referred to her relatives as 'cool folks'?

 _« I hope you're not stupid enough to actually mean that. »_ she said coldly before heading towards the door. But Drew wasn't done with her yet.

 _« Hey what does that even mean? Who the hell do you think you are Paige? I always talk to you about things you want to know about me and I never get anything in return! You just expect me to sit here and be okay with you coming to my door every night, sometimes crying and never ask why? Well this isn't how it works, you got to meet me halfway. »_

Paige knew he was right, in more than six months of relationship, she never told him anything that was **really** personal. But even now she didn't want to. She never talked about her personal issues to anyone and even if she knew that at some point she should have someone to discuss it with before exploding, she just wasn't sure Drew was the right man to fulfill this job.

So instead of answering him she just turned her back and got out, slamming the door on her way.

After her meeting at the bank, Paige didn't know where to go. She was still avoiding spending time home as much as she could, but she didn't want to go back to Drew for now either. They would have to talk about their argument and she would have to apologize and explain things and she wasn't in the mood right now. So she just wandered and strangely, her feet lead her some place she immediately recognized, even if she only came once. She unconsciously walked to the garage where Walter lived. Walking in here would also mean having to talk, explain things, even apologize, but this time she actually wanted it. She hesitated a few minutes, standing right here, in front of the door, and eventually decided to come in. She climbed the stairs to Walter's loft and stopped a second time before knocking timidly.

It was Walter himself who opened the door, apparently as surprised as her to find her here.

 _« Paige? What… what are you doing here? »_

 _« I uh… I don't really know. I just walked by and… I wanted to see you I guess. Can I come in? »_

Walter seemed confused but he moved away to let Paige pass and she went to crash on the couch. He went to stand in front of her, not sure about what he should say or do.

 _« So um… what is this about? »_

Paige had to gather her thoughts before starting to talk, she knew Walter wasn't processing things the same way everyone did so she had to chose the right words so he would understand.

 _« Well I… I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have let you down because Drew wanted so. He's been acting like an ass lately, he just… he doesn't understand. »_

She didn't know she was holding back so much feelings but when she started talking, her bottom lip trembled and she felt that she was about to cry. Walter noticed it and was really uncomfortable because he never knows what to do in this kind of situations.

 _« Something happened? »_

 _« You remember this time you asked be about my family? »_

 _« I do. »_ he simply answered.

 _« Well things are way more complicated that I told you. My mother she… she abandoned my father and I. I mean not literally because she still comes back from time to time but it's always for impure motives. It breaks my father's heart every time, pushing him further in his depression state. I hate being at home because as much as I love my dad, seeing him like this always reminds me of what a messed up childhood I had. You see I'm more like you than you think. Difficult relationship with my parents and actually a few people that I know really care about me. »_

It was all out, just like that. He didn't have to ask anything. She just trusted him enough to be the first person she told all of this, and she had to admit it felt good to get it off her chest.

 _« I… I do care about you if that matters. »_

She raised her head to meet his gaze. He was uncertain but reassuring at the same time. And at this point she couldn't help it anymore, she took him into a hug and started crying against his chest. Walter wasn't exactly used to comforting people so he just held her, trying to soothe her and waiting for her to calm down. After a while, Paige pulled out and sniffed before getting up, composing a calm face and grabbing her purse.

 _« I should go. Thanks for seeing me Walter. »_

Walter didn't want her to leave. He missed her and he shouldn't let her go once again.

 _« Will I… see you around again? »_

Paige gave him a week smile, not even sure herself of the answer to this question. She desperately wanted to see him around again, but she didn't even know where she stood with Drew at this exact moment.

 _« We'll see… I hope so. I'm sorry again Walter. You know I don't want to hurt you, but things are sometimes more difficult than it seems. »_

 _« Okay. »_

And with that Paige left the apartment, a knot forming in her stomach because even though this time again he didn't held her back, she felt like she was walking away from her friend for the second time.

 _ **So I just wanted to say a word about the development of this story being rather slow : sure this is an AU story but I'd like to stick as close as I can to the actual show and we already had to go through 2 and a half season of non-Waige, and they're not even close to being together for now. The slow building and angst is part of Scorpion and even though I don't intend to keep them appart for too long, I don't intend either on putting Walter and Paige together this soon. So if you want to see this happen well you'll just have to stick with me for a little longer ;)**_


	18. Chapter 18

CORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 18

 _ **Wow so I had sort of a writer's blank for this chapter, I had to come back to it several days and it reduced the advance I had, but I figured I had to move to the following parts of the story so I finished it but it's not what I thought it would be. Anyway, enjoy it !**_

After Paige left his loft, Walter didn't know if he should feel relieved that she came back to him and implied that maybe they could start seeing each other again, or sad that she was still holding on to Drew when clearly he wasn't a good guy for her. Maybe he wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't meant for Paige either. But Walter was mostly confused in fact. Paige seemed to send him so many mixed signals, he had no idea how to translate it. But he knew exactly the person that could help him with that.

Still thinking about all this, Walter picked his phone and composed Toby's number. But his genius friend didn't answer, even the second and the third time he tried calling. So then Walter thought that he should call Happy because they would probably be together if the first date he knew they had went well. This time he had more chance.

 _« Hey O'Brien what's up? »_

 _« Hey Happy. Do you know where Toby is? I've been trying to join him and I figured maybe you two were together. »_

 _« Oh uh… he… he is in class. »_ answered Happy in a rush, obviously lying.

 _« What do you mean he is in class? Since when does he go in class? Even more on a Saturday afternoon. »_

 _« Yeah well… this time he decided to go. I'm sorry I can't help you now but you should try calling him again later. »_

And before Walter could answer anything, she hung up the phone. He thought that something was off about her, that she wasn't telling the hole truth. Either she was with Toby and she didn't want him to know, either she actually knew where he was and didn't think Walter would like it. Whatever it was, Walter didn't really appreciate the fact that his friend lied to him this easily to protect Toby. But again, everybody was changing and finding people worth lying for was part of the process.

Not knowing who to turn to, Walter went to his office and started tidying up his office, full of papers for school and for his little extras, in order to clear his mind. And as he was filling some of it, he spotted something else on his desk. Cabe's card, with his private number. He could have easily waited the end of the day to try to talk to Toby again or to wait for his sister to come home. He could have called anyone else, but here he was, alone in his loft, typing Cabe's number. He had been meaning to talk to him about business anyway and besides, Cabe was a normal one. So maybe if Walter managed to forgive him and have a decent relationship with him, in return he could benefit some advice from his former mentor.

On the second ringtone, the Homeland agent picked up and Walter was almost surprised to hear his voice.

 _« Cabe Gallo listening to you. Who is it? »_

 _« Oh, hi Cabe this is me… Walter. »_

Walter could feel the older man was surprised too from this call because he marked a brief pause, but he rapidly gathered his mind.

 _« Hey son! I mean… Walter. Are you calling about my offer? »_

 _« This and… some other thing. Look I'm not really a phone guy. Would you care to stop by? »_

 _« Well I… »_ Cabe was about to say that he had work to do and that he could pass to Walter's apartment later this evening but then he reconsidered it. He had been waiting for a good talk with the young man for so long, he didn't want it to push back this moment more. Besides, it's not like he was in the middle of a case, nobody would tell him anything at Homeland if he went home a little bit earlier than usual? « _I'll be here in a few minutes. »_

Indeed, about twenty two minutes later, Cabe was knocking at Walter's door, waiting for him to open. Walter invited him in and didn't wasted any time in small talks, going straight to his point.

 _« So I've considered what you're offering me, I've actually put a lot of thoughts into it. »_

 _« That's… great I guess. Tell me about it! »_

 _« Well I've for the past years I've tried to find a way to repair what I… what_ _ **we**_ _'ve done. But as you mentioned during your previous visit I'm not exactly swimming in money. So I guess that I could work as a consultant for Homeland from time to time. But there would be some conditions. I would be only called on urgent matter, like with lives depending on it, and I would have the right to refuse a case if I feel used again. Do you think that's possible? »_

The agent listened carefully what Walter had to say and nodded.

 _« I'll do it a personal matter. But what you need to understand Walter is that you'll eventually have to forgive me. If we're doing this I'm going to be your liaison with Homeland and you'll probably a lot of me. »_

 _« We don't need to be pals. I can act professional around you. »_ stated Walter. It sort of escaped his lips, he didn't mean to be rude, since he also wanted to talk about private matters with him. But he guessed this part would have to wait, he acted on impulse calling Cabe only to realize now that he wasn't comfortable enough yet to talk about these kind of things with him.

 _« There is something else we should talk kid. It's about your situation here. »_

 _« What do you mean? »_

 _« I've checked your file, you're going to be 18 soon, and in two years you're out of college. I know it leaves you time but you still have to think about it. For now you can stay in the USA as a foreign student but when you graduate you'll have to find a job in order to stay and eventually get a green card. »_

 _« Well if I work for Homeland that'll be okay right? I could even drop college, it's not like I'm learning anything there anyway. »_

Cabe looked a little embarrassed and started to explain.

 _« Well… not exactly. You won't be a homeland agent, just a consultant as you said. And it will probably be very… off the record. You'll still get paid though! But it won't help for your citizenship. »_

How convenient for Homeland, to have him unofficially working for them but unable to do anything about his status. Walter was disappointed, obviously. He had been thinking about quitting school for some time, now that Paige wasn't even a pretext to go there anymore. Suddenly, he wanted to be left alone, in order to gather his thoughts about the matter and find out if he didn't take a rushed decision by accepting Cabe's help.

 _« Uh Cabe, do you mind if we go through the details another day? I forgot I had something to do right now. »_ Walter lied. He never forgets anything.

 _« Okay Walter, I'll see you around then. »_

Cabe gave his hand to Walter and the young man hesitated a second before shaking it. Then the homeland agent left, leaving Walter all by himself, thinking about the possible repercussions of what he just did.


	19. Chapter 19

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 19

After their little fight, Paige didn't go back to Drew, but rather to her own house. There, alone in her bedroom which now felt like a foreign place, she took the time to clear her mind, rationalize all of her feelings and decide what she should do. She thought again about what Drew said to her. He had some good points, she just couldn't expect them to take things further if she wasn't ready to let him in. The truth is that she was afraid of doing so because she didn't believe that Drew would understand the situation with her parents and that the illusion of him being the perfect boyfriend would crumble a little bit more. But it was unfair of her to presume things without giving him a shot.

And about Walter, well she had the intention to talk to Drew about his request and convince him that she could still see him as a friend. But first things first, she would deal with their relationship before having to deal with the genius issue.

So the following morning, Paige picked her phone and composed Drew's number, still not sure about what she was about to do. It took him quiet some time to answer and Paige was about to drop it just when he picked up.

 _« Hey Paige, how are you? »_

 _« I'm… well I'm okay. I'd like to talk to you, would you like to come to my place tonight? »_ she asked.

 _« To your place as in… inside your house? »_ said Drew in a surprised tone. It is true that he never actually went to Paige's home, they were always going either out or at his place. Since her father was always at home and he didn't even know she had a boyfriend (not that he would actually care in fact but she wasn't comfortable talking about these kind of things with him) she never invited him. She had met Drew's parents once, when he invited her for a weekend at their place, but she hadn't talk to them a lot. They were really from two opposite worlds, Paige came from a modest background as they were the stereotype of a wealthy family, so she didn't really feel at ease with them. She suspected they didn't like her much and wished that her romance with Drew wouldn't last, but she never talked to him about this. Anyway, they were still together and she was finally ready to commit a little more.

 _« Yeah like inside my house. Look, I'm sorry about yesterday, you were mostly right, and I want to show you that I'm ready to meet you halfway. So if you still want this, I'd like you to come to dinner tonight and meet my dad. How does that sound? »_

Drew had to take a few seconds before answering, probably because he didn't expected that at all.

 _« Well that sounds… really nice… I'm looking forward to it. »_

 _« Okay then come at 7, you'll help me prepare dinner. »_

 _« Sure, does you father drink, I could bring some champaign, or wine as you wish. »_ offered Drew, all stressed about making a good impression in front of his girlfriend's father.

 _« Yeah no I'm not sure about that, I don't think it would to great with… some pills he has to take for his um… condition. But if you want to bring something you can pick the desert, I won't have time to make a cake anyway. »_

 _« You got it babe, see you tonight then, I love you. »_

 _« Love you too. »_ answered Paige before hanging up and releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding. She knew she was taking a big step here and it stressed her a little.

The same day around seven, Drew was knocking at her door, wearing a nice white shirt, his hair back like the good boy he wasn't and a chocolate pie in his hands. Paige opened him and giggled when she saw him like this, not that she was mocking him, she found it rather cute actually. She kissed him and invited him in, then she guided her to the living room where her dad was sitting on the couch.

 _« Hey dad, remember when I told you about Drew earlier today? Well he's staying with us tonight. »_

Her father's look went from her to Drew and he stared at him for a few seconds.

 _« So you're Paige's boyfriend? Nice to meet you. »_ he said in a tone that wasn't exactly unfriendly, but that didn't sounded as somebody nice to meet him either.

 _« Yeah nice to meet you to. »_ said Drew before shaking the man's hand. _« So um… do you need some help in the kitchen Paige? »_

 _« Well actually I was a bit stressed this afternoon so I already did almost all of it. I just have to finish something but why don't you stay here and you two get to know each other? »_

Before Drew had the time to answer, Paige was back in the kitchen, leaving him standing in the living room, not knowing what to say. Luckily, her father engaged small talks.

 _« So you two have been dating for quite a time right? I mean Paige only told me today about you but I'm not a moron. She thinks that because sometimes I can be a little… off… I can't tell when my own daughter is in love. But I've seen this smirk on her face when she was texting you, even more lately. She's growing into you boy, I hope you don't intend on giving her up or you'll have to deal with me. »_

Drew was a little perplexe, they used to text a lot with Paige indeed but lately… could it be… No, he preferred shaking this thought out of his mind and answer the man's question.

 _« Yes sir, we're going to celebrate our first year together during the summer. And you don't have to worry about me, I'm not planning on letting her go. »_

 _« Great… great… it's weird to see my little girl with another man though… But I guess her old depressed father wasn't enough for her anymore… »_ Paige's dad said, more to himself than to Drew, who was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable as an awkward silence settled between them.

After a minute, they heard a faint knock on the door.

 _« Paige sweetheart are we expecting anybody else? »_ asked her father.

 _« Don't think so! Can you go see? I'm kind of busy here! »_ shouted Paige from the kitchen.

So her father got up and went to the entrance, with a curious Drew sneaking up behind him. And what was his surprise when the door was opened.

 _« Good evening boy, can I do something for you? »_

 _« I uh… Sorry to bother you sir… Can I… Is Paige here? I'd like to talk to her. »_

 _« Who did you say you were? »_

 _« O'Brien? »_

 _« Drew? What are you doing here? »_ asked Walter, wanting to burry himself six feet under the ground.

« _What are_ _ **you**_ _doing here man? I mean what the hell? »_ replied Drew in an agressive tone.

 _« What is going on here? »_ asked Paige's father, confused by this exchange.

 _« I'm sorry mister Dineen, this is Walter, a fellow from our campus. Would you mind letting me talk to him please? And don't bother Paige, I think she's already busy enough. »_ said Drew with a lot of diplomacy. Paige's father nodded and went back to the living room as Drew went out and closed the door behind him to limit the chance of Paige overhearing them.

 _« Now tell me what the fuck is going on here O'Brien. »_

 _« There's… there's nothing going on. »_ answered Walter as casually as he could.

 _« Don't play the smart ass with me boy. You're doing anything but nothing here. »_

 _« I… I shouldn't have come here. »_

 _« Yeah finally something on which be both agree. So now you're going to listen to me smarty pants. You're going to walk back to your shitty place and you're not going to come here ever again. You're not going to talk to Paige either, you're not even going to look at her, or else my only purpose in life will be to make your life a living hell. »_

Walter didn't understand why Drew was being so agressive with him, he knew that seing his girl hanging out with another guy could lead a man to feel jealousy, but he never did anything to Drew and now he was coming at him with all this hate.

 _« Just to be clear, Paige isn't your friend man, she doesn't even like you. You were just someone to pass time while I was out on competitions. So right now I'm going to go back inside her house and have a nice dinner with her and her father, while you do as I said, is that clear? »_

Drew didn't even understand how bad his words hit Walter. This one just lowered his head and nodded, turning back and starting to walk back from where he came. Drew went back inside as he said and rapidly went to Paige's dad.

« _Who was this boy? He looked kind. »_

 _« Hey mister Dineen, could you not mention that to Paige? The guy is just some freak that follows Paige a bit everywhere. You don't have to worry about him though, I think I made it clear he wasn't welcome, but it would upset her if she knew so I'd rather keep it a secret okay? »_

Paige's father considered things for a few seconds before agreeing.

 _« Okay, if you think it would upset her… I don't want her upset. My lips are sealed. »_

 _« Good. Thanks sir. »_

Right after that Paige called them because dinner was ready. Everything went well and Paige was glad to see that her dad and Drew were even starting to get along as they began to talk about sports. At the end, while Drew was helping her to clean the dishes, she remembered the knock from earlier.

 _« Oh by the way do you know who was at my door earlier? »_

 _« It was no one, some seller trying to outsmart your father. I told him to go to hell. »_

A smile smile grew on Paige as she passed Drew some plates. Things were definitely going better for her.

 _ **Ahah I feel I got my inspiration back, and it means I'm going to torture you a little longer *evil laugh* ;)**_


	20. Chapter 20

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 20

 **I don't have many chapters ahead anymore, I hope I'll be able to keep up the daily updates. I'll do my best :)**

After his little visit to Paige, Walter wandered in the streets for hours, thinking about a lot of stupid things to do but not doing any of it. Drew had just said out loud every things Walter feared, and even if Paige assured him a lot of times that it wasn't true, her actions suggested otherwise and besides, geniuses like him had the tendency to only keep the negative when it came to things that weren't pure facts. Walter took his cell phone out and deleted Paige's number, thinking afterward that it wouldn't be of much help since he memorized it by heart.

After a while, he ended up on the beach where he took her the first time they went out together. He thought about these memories, how she managed to make him laugh this day, and how simple it had been to open up to her. If Drew was right and Paige was just with him to pass time well he at least hoped that he made her pass an as good time as he had. Staying on the beach looking up at the stars made Walter more peaceful so after what might have been like half an hour, he decided to head back to the garage.

When he arrived there, he overheard Happy and Toby arguing so he stopped for a second and didn't make any noise in order to listen to what they were saying.

 _« So what? You did the job, now you can just back off, grow up and stop messing with the wrong people! »_ the mechanic was shouting.

 _« This is not_ _ **that**_ _simple Happy! »_

 _« Of course it is! But you're just too stupid ! »_

 _« What is going on here? »_ asked Walter as he entered the loft. He noticed that Toby's cheek was red, as if he had been slapped but he couldn't tell if it was from Happy or the people she was talking about.

 _« Uh nothing… You know Toby, acting like a smart ass, pissing everyone off… »_ Happy answered with a nervous giggle.

Walter wasn't buying it at all, but again he didn't want to get into an argument with them. His friends kept hiding things from him, so what? Maybe in fact he didn't have any real friends. He didn't care, he was better off alone. Or at least that's what he told himself. His face must have been even more closed than usual because it rapidly alarmed Toby.

 _« Um Walter… I'm pretty sure you're going to pretend everything is fine but… what is up with you? »_

 _« What do you mean? »_

 _« You know what I mean. You go out, not telling anyone where you are, and come back hours later with this beaten puppy look on your face. What happened to you? »_

 _« Rough day. »_ simply answered Walter. But Toby insisted, he knew his friend better than that.

 _« Come on pal, you'll have to give me more than this. I can see something is bothering you. »_

Walter hesitated for a few seconds but he remembered that after all he had been meaning to discuss the matter with his friend before going to Paige's house and he probably would have if he had known where to find him.

 _« Well… you see a few weeks ago Paige told me that we had to stop talking to each other. I understood that it was because of her boyfriend, he wasn't exactly fond of me. But yesterday she came here and opened up to me about private things and all, before leaving me again. So today I wanted to talk to her, ask her if we could be friends again but when I went to her place it was Drew… her boyfriend who opened up the door and uh… he made it clear he didn't want me anywhere near her and… well… he told me that… that I was Paige's… pastime for a while but that… she didn't care about me. Now I don't know what to think anymore. »_ explained Walter, looking at his feet the whole time, struggling to find the proper words.

 _« Okay… That's quiet a story… She seemed pretty sincere when we saw her this evening but I don't know man, if she has a boyfriend already maybe you should just let it go and move on. »_

Walter looked at Toby, not sure he understood what his friend was implying.

 _« But… I just… I just want to be friend with her. What kind of boyfriend doesn't let his girl having the friends she wants? Or maybe he is right, maybe she doesn't want to be my friend. »_

To his surprise, Toby laughed right under his nose.

 _« Hey Walter, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad new but you don't want to be Paige's friend trust me. You're in love with her. »_

 _« What? No, love is an irrational concept. »_ stated Walter, switching in automatic mode just like every time someone tried to evoke this notion.

 _« Trust me it's real. You're feeling it right now, you just don't know this is it. »_

 _« This is ridiculous. I just happened to know her for two weeks. »_

Walter wasn't sure anymore if he was trying to convince Toby or himself. His friend was now looking at him with that look which means 'Yeah pal, you know I'm right' and suddenly, all kinds of thoughts flew to Walter's mind. He didn't know what to think anymore, his brain was kind of short circuited so he just did what became too much of an habit lately : he went to lock himself into his room and asked to be left alone.

Meanwhile, Toby went back to Happy, trying to figure out a way to cheer their friend up.

 _« Hey Hap', you know it's Walter's birthday soon right? »_

 _« Yeah sure. »_

 _« We should start thinking about something great, I wont have my friend being depressed on his 18th birthday. »_

And with that they started brainstorming about all the craziest ideas that could get through their mind to surprise Walter.

The morning after, Walter went to school with just a very few hours of sleep to his counter. He felt that the day wasn't starting well, and he had no idea what was coming next. On the campus, he did his best to avoid any kind of eye contact with anyone. He felt like if anyone tried to talk to him he would just outburst all his anger and resentment at this person. But he never talked to anyone anyway. Part of the few advantages of being a misanthropist was that he wouldn't have to fake conversations when he didn't feel in the mood to do so.

Anyway, class were going as usual, Walter never listened to what the professor had to say, it was often scientifically very poorly explained and he was only there as an act of presence. But today something caught his attention, as his professor was talking about the Fibonacci suite, in which Walter happened to be an expert of since a very young age.

 _« You have no idea what you're talking about. »_ he stated out loud in the amphitheater.

The teacher stopped speaking and started to look for whoever interrupted him among the students.

 _« Excuse me? »_

 _« I said you have no idea what you're talking about. »_ repeated Walter, _« you're stating facts that you probably read before but it's clear that you don't understand the meaning of what you're talking about, or the true interest of it. But it's normal I guess, either way you wouldn't be here, if you actually understood a single thing about mathematics you would do something useful instead of repeating something you saw in a bad scientific journal without getting what's at sake. »_

 _« Who the hell are you to interrupt my class and say things like this? »_

 _« I'm Walter O'Brien and I have the fourth highest IQ ever recorded which allows me to say that you are bullshiting everyone in this class. »_

 _« Oh yeah? Well let's see how your IQ saves your ass when you're in the doyen's office. »_

A few minutes later, Walter was indeed waiting in front of the dean's office as his teacher was inside, explaining what happened. The door opened in front of him and the two men were looking at him with a severe look, waiting for him to come in.

 _« So… O'Brien… What happened? »_ asked the doyen.

« _I'm pretty sure sir Hamil already told you that. »_

 _« Are you aware that such a behavior can get you expelled? However, given you very clean record and your results on the first exams, we are willing to believe that this was just a bad day for you and that it won't happen again. So now you can make your apology to professor Hamil and we won't talk more about this. »_

 _« I won't apologize for being smarter than him. He should be the one apologizing to all of his students. »_

The face of his teacher started turning red again but Walter didn't move. He wasn't afraid of them, being right was all that mattered to him. He could never help himself playing the smart ass, even if it can get him into troubles.

 _« Boy, you won't have a second chance, I strongly advise that you excuse yourself or you won't be a student here anymore. »_

 _« I don't really care, I think you and I both know that I could give all the classes here if I wanted to. »_

 _« You wanna play it this way? Okay then, your expulsion letter will be sent to your place before tonight. »_

Walter thought that he was bluffing at first, but now he couldn't tell anymore. Still, he managed to show no emotions.

 _« Am I free to go? »_

 _« You are. I could wish you good luck but… »_

 _« I don't believe in luck. »_

 _« Right. »_

After this, Walter started walking back home. He thought about how stupid what he just did was. Tomorrow was his birthday and Cabe made it clear that working for Homeland wouldn't help him get his citizenship. Now he wasn't even a student anymore so he would have to find a job in urgence if he didn't want to be sent back to Ireland. He thought that maybe he ruined things on purpose, because it was in his nature to be self destructive, but at the same time he was relieved to be free from these stupid classes and most of all from the daily sight of Paige. Maybe he could finally rest a little, his genius brain would figure something out for not being deported later.


	21. Chapter 21

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 21

After the night with her dad, things were back to really good between Drew and Paige. They had pretty memorable make up sex with pillow talks afterwards, where Paige finally gave him pieces of informations about her family. Not all of it of course, she wasn't ready for that yet, but it was a start. In the morning, waking up next to her boyfriend, she thought that now that she figured out the situation with him, she might as well fix her other concern. But Paige didn't want to bring up the topic this soon so she let a few days past.

And that's how the evening of Walter's birthday, after looking for him everywhere on the campus and finding him nowhere, Paige ended up knocking once again on his door. But this time he wasn't the one opening to her, it was Megan who welcomed her.

 _« Oh hi Paige, I didn't know you were coming! »_

 _« Uh I wasn't supposed to, I just wanted to wish Walter a happy birthday. Is that a bad timing? »_

 _« No, not at all! We were throwing a little party for the event but my brother is determined to stay locked up in his bedroom. Maybe you'll have more luck than us, come in! »_

Paige hesitated, not sure why Walter wouldn't come out of his room for his own birthday and if she was the one that could make him come out but after all, she didn't came here for nothing. So she entered, to discover the loft decorated with a few photos of Walter and all of his friends wearing party hats, even if Happy didn't seem so thrilled about that.

 _« You better get his ass off this room or I'll have to break the door »_ the mechanic commented. _« I mean he didn't even opened his presents. »_

 _« What did you buy him? »_ Paige asked.

 _« We found the missing pieces to finish building his computer and we bought him a telescope. Walter loves looking at the stars. »_ Sylvester explained, seeming a little bit more enthusiastic than the others.

Paige gave them all a weak smile and approached the door, a little uncomfortable than everyone was listening what she had to say to Walter.

 _« Hey Walter, it's me, Paige. Well… happy birthday I guess. Please come out? Your friends really want to see you… I want to see you… I brought you a gift. »_

Paige heard Walter coming near the door and for a second she had the hope that he would just open his door and party with his friends. But that was before he talked.

 _« Go away. »_

 _« What? Walter I thought… »_

 _« I said go away. I'll come out only if you leave. »_

Paige was baldy hurt, and she was about to argue with him and tell him she wouldn't lift a finger until she sees his face when Toby, who had been surprisingly quiet until then, stopped her.

 _« Can I talk to you for a second please? »_

 _« Uh, sure yeah. »_

Toby dragged her apart from the others so they wouldn't hear what he had to say.

 _« I think you should leave Walter alone. No offense. »_

 _« What? Why? »_

 _« Walter was great when you two were hanging out for sure, I mean I don't recall ever seeing him this happy. But he can't have someone who isn't fully committed to this. He doesn't have the ability to understand and it would only hurt him more eventually. There is clearly an issue with you boyfriend, and I know you might be confused about you feelings for Walter but trust me you have no idea what's going on inside his head right now. So I'm asking you as his friend, please back off and let him move on. He can't deal with this. »_

 _« But… »_

 _« Paige please, I don't think you realize what's at stake. I don't know what happened lately but I know it's related to you, and it made Walter acting like a total jerk. He got expelled from school yesterday for being an asshole. The other don't know yet, but do you have any idea how bad this is? »_

Paige was astonished by Toby's words. She had no idea Walter was feeling this bad. She would have likes to fight Toby but he clearly made her understand that she wasn't welcome here and he had been Walter's friend for too long for her to argue with this.

 _« Could you… could you at least give him this? I just want him to know that I thought about him, and that he can come see me anytime he wants. »_

Paige handed the small package she made for Walter and Toby eventually grabbed it.

 _« Okay. Just… leave him some space now would you? He is going through a lot of things and he needs more time than a normal person to process. »_

Paige nodded and went back to the others to excuse herself, saying that she couldn't stay too long and that she was sorry she couldn't see Walter. After hearing that, Walter waited for a little while to make sure it wasn't a trap to get him out and when he was 99% positive that Paige was really gone, he went out of his bedroom, his head low.

 _« Finally! Now I'm even less in the mood to sing you happy birthday or to act like it was any normal's birthday so open up you presents and let me go back to my place slapping myself for believing even if it was for one second that this was actually a good idea. »_ stated Happy.

Walter knew he acted like a jerk so he didn't answered his friend and just went to open the packages on the table. He recognized the usual cloth gift from her sister so he opened it first. It was a dark blue jacket and he immediately liked it. Then he opened the big present and was all confused to discover the telescope his friends got him. All he could do was blurt out thanks as he was already thinking of trying it. He also got the pieces missing for his computer and he thought there was nothing else to unpack when he noticed the two other envelopes.

 _« Are you crazy or what? You didn't need to… »_

 _« These are not from us Walt. The light enveloppe is something the homeland guy left us when you were to school. He says he would have liked to be here but he had an emergency. The other one is from Paige. »_ explained Sylvester.

Walter went for Cabe's note first, not so surprised to see that it was a contract with Homeland to sign with a note saying that it was only to make things look official in a symbolic way but that the job was still off the record.

Then Walter grabbed Paige's gift and after saying thanks once again to his family, he went back alone in his room to open it.

It was an audio tape, with written « My favs » with a girly handwriting that could only be Paige's. With that there was a list of the songs, with among them some Elton John, David Bowie, or George Michael. Walter knew none of the artists but he was still very touched that Paige wanted to share this with him. On the back side of the list, she added 'This way you'll know who's Elton John and many others… I hope you can appreciate other things than jazz (and don't get me wrong, I love jazz).'

Walter was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn't all identify for Paige. It was just a tape, but it meant so much more to him. He thought he was so stupid not to open her. He shouldn't have listened to Drew, because he might not have a big EQ but he understands that you don't pay this kind of intention to someone you don't appreciate. So way more peaceful than when he got up, Walter went asleep, Paige's music in his walkman, thinking that maybe it wasn't too late to fix things.

 _ **So even if for now this story seems to resume to one of them doing a step forward while the other does one backward, I promise once again that the finality of this is Waige. But there are still plenty of events to go though for our favorite OTP.**_

 _ **Also, happy Scorpion day everyone :)**_


	22. Chapter 22

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 22

The next morning, Walter got up in a good mood. He almost forgot that he didn't have to go to college anymore as he was starting to pack his schoolbag. But when he remembered he felt even lighter. Sure he still had to figure out something but he was positive he would have by the time the government realize he can't stay in the US anymore. For now he was taking a well deserve break. And for Walter O'Brien, a break meant starting the day with a strong cup of coffee and getting to some work worth of his intelligence.

So Walter got busy all day, resolving a lot of problems he didn't have the time to do before, making improvements in the apartment and imagining plans for when he would buy the garage. Because going through the contract Cabe gave him, he realized that it would offer him enough money to make a lot of his project progress. Maybe he could even start working on Megan disease more seriously.

Walter didn't see the time flow, he even forgot to eat lunch. These things often happen to geniuses when they're too focused on a task, they get oblivious to basic stuff like eating or sleeping. But at some point in the afternoon, the sound of keys unlocking the door got him out of his thoughts. He turned back to see Happy and Toby walking in, giggling together.

 _« I gave you spare keys but it doesn't mean you should come any time you feel like it. »_

The two of his friends raised there head to gaze surprisingly at Walter. Of course they didn't expect to find him here.

 _« Walter? What are you doing here? »_ asked Toby.

 _« Well this is my place if I remember correctly. »_

Happy was now looking at him with her eyebrows frowned. _« Aren't you supposed to be at school? »_

Walter suddenly got uncomfortable but he figured he would have to tell them at some point.

 _« Well I… might not go there anymore. »_

 _« What do you mean O'Brien? »_ questioned Happy in a relatively menacing tone.

 _« I… I got expelled… »_

 _«_ _ **What?!**_ » exclaimed Happy.

« _I already figured that out, the question is why. »_ said Toby.

« _What do you mean you already figured that out? »_

 _« Well I… sort of… accidentally looked through your mail and saw the expulsion letter… »_ confessed the Harvard student.

« _You did_ _ **what?**_ _»_ shouted Walter, ready to throw his friends out.

 _« Hey for my defense you papers were all lying unopened and I just wanted to check if you didn't forgot something important. Then I saw a letter from school and I figured that you wouldn't want Megan to discover something like this without you telling her first so I… put it in safe place. Look I'm sorry, this wasn't my call to make I know. Now the reason? »_

Walter softened as he thought his friend had a fair point.

 _« I confronted a professor with his own stupidity. He didn't like that. »_

 _« Well excuse me Walter but if anyone was stupid it was you. What the hell were you thinking? What about your scholarship? Or your right to stay here as a foreign student? »_ Toby said, looking more concerned than Walter himself.

 _« Well the money isn't a problem as long as I help Homeland on some cases. For the citizenship thing well… I'm working on it. »_

 _« Man… you'll have to find some shitty job where you'll be exploited or find someone to marry. Is Paige still with this Drew guy? »_

 _« Are you crazy? I'm not asking Paige to marry me! »_

 _« Well I'm pretty sure that since you need help, as a friend she would… »_ started to argue Toby.

 _« I am American. »_ stated Happy who had been surprisingly quiet until now.

 _« Thanks for the reminder Happy. Helps a lot. Now I'm trying to focus on getting Walter out of this… »_

 _« Do you even listen to what I say? I said I am American. I am major too, Paige isn't. I could marry Walter. »_ she offered.

 _« No way. »_ replied the two men at the same time.

 _« Why? I'm doing this as a friend like you said. »_

Walter started to think about this proposition. He didn't expect that but maybe…

 _« Maybe as an alternative, until I figure something else out this could be an option to seriously consider. So um… thanks for offering Happy… I think we still have some time so… I think I'll just consider things. »_

 _« I mean it O'Brien. The offer stays on the table as long as you want. »_

Toby who was starting to look very pale was now looking back and forth between his two friend.

 _« Hey Walter, do you mind if I have a word with Happy? »_

 _« Uh… no sure. We'll talk about this later. »_

Walter went to his bedroom to give the other two some privacy and Toby started perambulate in front of Happy who was staring at him with her eyebrow raised.

 _« Would you stop agitate yourself and tell me what this is about? »_

 _« Please don't marry Walter. » begged_ Toby. _« I'm sure he can figure something else out, he's going to be a government asset for god's sake! »_

Happy was looking perplex, not getting where this was coming from.

 _« Why would you mind? I would have done the same thing for you I mean I don't want Walter to be deported and I think this is the best option. It will only be on paper I mean it's not like I'm very attached to marriage values anyway. »_

 _« It's just that… I thought… »_

 _« Spill it out doc, or else I might just cut out your tongue since you don't know how to use it anymore. »_

 _« I love you Happy. »_ blurted out Toby.

It was a shock for her. Nobody ever said those words to her. Her mother was dead, her father abandoned her, her foster parents were horrible people and the few friends she had were as emotionally handicapped as her. She never thought someone would actually pronounce these three words to her. And she was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions she couldn't process that it was Toby who said it. But it was too hard for her to say it back, it felt too unnatural. So she shook her head and pushed aside the few seconds of what she considered as weakness aside to go back to good old tough Happy.

 _« I'm doing it as a friend Toby. This is the best thing to do. »_ Toby looked very disappointed so she clumsily added _: «_ _Besides, it's not like we're going to marry each other straight away. We're not even together. »_ Silence… _« Yet. »_

Toby lowered his head and mumbled _« Yeah well I know how it's going to be, Walter is never going to move his ass to get his green card and this marriage is going to last forever… »_

Happy chose to ignore this last statement and left Toby to go see Walter in order to see how they could deal with this. As for the Harvard student, well he was confused but what he would memorize from this exchange was that Happy didn't exclude the idea of them being together at some point.

 _ **So I know some of you might have expected Paige to be the one offering to marry Walter but the original idea of this story is to stick as much as I can to the series, with just the characters younger.**_

 _ **Also I wanted to apologize if there are typos or mistakes in the last chapters, in order to keep the daily updates I don't always double check my writing.**_

 _ **Thanks to everyone who follow this story for more than three weeks now, I still want to write plenty of things for you and I hope you'll still want to read it.**_

 _ **I hope this story isn't TOO slow, but if you think so you're welcome to PM me or leave a review to give me your thoughts, I'm very open to suggestions.**_


	23. Chapter 23

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 23

Two weeks later, Happy and Walter were at city hall, all set to be a married couple. Walter had to say, it was probably the most awkward thing he did in his 18 years on earth. Everyone from city hall was glaring at them as they were waiting for their turn, which was probably more than normal since they hadn't even bother dressing nicely for the occasion and well… they were only teenagers.

After a while, someone came to call their names, giving them odd looks when he saw who was answering. They had brought Megan, Toby and Sylvester as witnesses so the five of them went to the direction they were indicated and when they passed in front of the man, he couldn't help but ask

 _« Are you sure you wanna do this? »_

Happy was paralyzed so Walter had to think really fast about something to say.

 _« Uh yes, this is a very… mature and thoughtful decision. We might be young but we are… very much… in love you know. So why wait? »_

 _« Sure. This way please. »_

The little group entered in a room with a marriage officiant welcomed them. Him too gave them a strange stare but kept quiet. Toby, Sylvester and Megan sat on the chairs planned for the guests as Walter and Happy moved towards the guy.

 _« Hold my hand. »_ whispered Happy in Walter's ear.

 _« What? »_

 _« Hold my hand you dumbass. »_

Without thinking more, Walter took Happy's hand, uncomfortable as ever. Both of them were sweating and as much as he liked Happy, as a friend, he found this touch quiet disgusting. It wasn't the same at all as holding Paige's hand. Then the officiant started his speech, making regular pause as a sign he was a bit confused about this wedding.

 _« So… we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Happy and Walter in marriage. In the… hum short years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has… grown and… matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. »_

Walter could tell Happy was feeling just like him right now, fighting hard not to burry herself into the ground.

 _« True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and… »_

 _« Can we skip this part? »_ cut short Happy.

 _« Excuse me? »_

 _« I have to go to work in an hour, so the faster we go the better it is. »_

 _« But… »_

 _« She's kidding. »_ Walter tried to make up. _« We just know already how… how much we mean to one another and hum… well we just… can't wait to go… celebrate it you know. »_

Megan giggled a little in the back, amused that his brother probably didn't even understood what implied what he said.

 _« Well… okay… so, d_ _o you_ _Happy Meredith Quinn_ _, take_ _Walter Adrian O'Brien_ _to be your_ _husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do you part?_ _»_

 _« I do. »_ Happy answer quickly.

 _« And do you, Walter Patrick O'Brien, take Happy Meredith Quinn to be your wife, to have and hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do you part? »_

 _« I do. »_

There was a silence and the officiant was gazing at Walter and Happy expectantly, but none of them understood what they had to do now, not very familiar with the process.

 _« Um, do you have the rings? »_

 _« I got it! »_ shouted Toby, coming towards them.

Walter sighted in relief, eternally grateful to his friend for thinking about this. Toby gave both Happy and him a small box and took Walter in an embrace, only to whisper in his ear.

 _« I know damn well I'm saving your ass right now so you better be nice and understanding with me in the weeks coming. »_

The officiant cleared his throat so Toby took a step back.

 _« I'm sorry, so much emotions you know… »_

After that Walter and Happy exchanged the rings Toby picked. They were simple, but still nice and Walter thought that Toby might have borrowed them to a store and that they would return it as soon as they were out of this place.

« _And now, by the power vestes in me by the state of California, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride. »_

Happy and Walter were now staring at each other, paralyzed, with a look of panic on their faces. They knew that eventually they would have to do this, but it was still scary. They both have very few experience in kissing, and it never had been pleasant since the two of them didn't really enjoyed any form of physical contact. But they had to make it look real.

So clumsily, they leaned onto each other and shared a brief kiss on each other's lips. Walter heard Toby coughing at the exact time their lips contacted and had to repress the need of kicking his friend's ass. After all, he did save him with the rings.

After Happy and Walter signed some paper, they were free to go so the five friends decided to go to dinner. And he couldn't explain why but Walter offered to go to Kovelsky, the dinner where Paige took him the first time they went out. Of course his friends didn't know about that so they all agreed, and of course, when they entered into the restaurant, **she** was there.

Walter was tempted to turn the other way around, but he saw she wasn't with Drew and she rapidly caught his glance anyway. Plus, he wasn't the only one who had seen her.

 _« Wait Walter, isn't that your friend Paige over here? »_ asked his sister.

 _« Uh… where? »_

 _« Pal don't even try to pretend you hadn't seen her. »_ said Toby as he went with Happy to sit down at a table. Walter told Megan and Sylvester that he would join them in a minute as he approached Paige.

 _« Uh hey Paige. How are you? »_

 _« Well I'm fine thanks. How 'bout you? You got sick of your bedroom? »_ she teased.

 _« Yeah about that… I'm sorry it's just that… Never mind, thanks for the tape. I liked the songs. »_

 _« Really? You're not saying that to please me? »_

 _« No, I… I'm not capable of lying remember? »_

Paige's wide smile, the same she wore all the time when they started hanging out, was back on her face and it warmed Walter's heart.

 _« Then I'll make you other tapes! Look Walter I have to go but call me okay? I'm sorry about the whole 'not talking to each other' thing. It was stupid. I never meant to hurt you. »_

 _« O-Okay. I'll call you then. »_ said Walter, reciting her number in his head to make sure he hadn't forgotten it since he deleted it after his altercation with Drew. Of course he hadn't forgotten.

Then Paige wanted to grab his hand to get him closer and say goodbye by kissing his cheek but she noticed the ring he had totally forgot to remove.

 _« You… what's this? Is this a wedding ring? »_

 _« No! Well yes. I mean, it's not what it looks like. »_

 _« Well it looks damn well like a wedding ring. »_

 _« I got married today. »_

Paige raised one eyebrow, not knowing why she suddenly felt a wave of jealousy hit her. Walter wasn't even her boyfriend and who the hell is married this young anyway?

 _« What? With who? »_

 _« Happy. »_

Did she really miss that the two of them were together? She could have sworn that the girl was closer to Toby.

 _« Look Paige, this is really stupid but I… I got expelled from school. That's why you don't see me there anymore. And I needed something quickly to stay in the US so… well I'm a married guy now. »_

Walter didn't know why he felt the need to explain. It's not like they were dating anyway, he could have been married and in love that she wouldn't have cared. But what he didn't know was that Paige was actually trying to figure out what this relief she felt when he explained meant.

 _« Hey husband! »_ shouted Happy from the table Walter's friends were sitting at. _« I'm hungry so get your ass of here instead of trying to cheat on me on our first day as a married couple. »_

Paige laughed at this. _« Well, I'd better get going. Don't forget… »_

 _« To call you. I got it. See you soon Paige. »_

 ** _AN : I totally made up Happy's second names with what got into my mind and would sound nice._**


	24. Chapter 24

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 24

 _ **I changed Walter's middle name in the previous chapter, I totally forgot it was Patrick but some of you reminded me so I updated the chapter to put it right :) So… Big step to make the story progress in this chapter!**_

Paige stared at the test again and again. She couldn't believe it. But it was the third she had taken, and the third that came out positive. God, she was ruined, she just couldn't deal with pregnancy now. She was only 17, and she had so much to deal with already… Besides, Drew was fine as a boyfriend but he wouldn't react well to this.

She thought that this must have happened this one time she forgot to take her pill and that she had been so stupid. She had suspicions since a few days, when her breast started hurting and then she realized she was late on her periods but she hoped that it was a false alarm. Well it wasn't, and she had to figure out what to do now. Of course she could get an abortion, or find a couple to adopt this baby, like in this movie she saw, Juno, but… now that she knew that a little human being was growing inside of her, she couldn't bring herself to the thought of being separated of it. It was stupid of course, but she felt like they already had a bond. Besides, she had been abandoned by her mother her whole life and she couldn't do the same to… well to her child.

Paige thought that she couldn't deal with this on her own and she wasn't ready to announce it to Drew right away so she decided to go tell her father. After all, maybe it would give him some purpose and motivation to help her go thought this. So a little bit scared and overwhelmed by the news, but determined to keep her head cold, Paige went down the stairs to find her dad.

Only when she arrived in the living room, he wasn't alone.

 _« What the hell are you doing here? »_

 _« Paige sweetie, I'm so happy to see you. »_ her mother said, approaching her with a wide smile. Paige avoided her embrace and gave her a death stare.

 _« Get out of here. I need to speak with dad. »_

 _« As a matter of fact Paige, your mother and I just discussed and she's going to stick here for a while. You see, I told you! »_ said her dad, looking very enthusiastic.

 _« Dad what the hell? She's not good for you, she's not good for any of us! »_

 _« Honey… »_ her mother started.

 _« Don't 'honey' me. You have no right to be here. Now please go I have to speak with my father. »_

 _« Whatever you have to tell me she can hear it. »_

It was the same thing every time, her father would take her mother's side even with all the wrong she did to him and she just did more wrong and he would forgive her again and again.

She really didn't want to tell that she was pregnant in front of her mother so she was about to drop it and go back to her room when her mom noticed the test in her hand. Paige totally forgot she still had it and tried to hide it but it was too late.

 _« Paige? Are you… you're pregnant right? That's what you wanted to say? »_

 _« I… It's none of your business. »_

 _« Hey Paige I can help you, I'll call to make an appointment with a good doctor and we'll get you an abortion. Everything's going to be okay. »_

« _I can't believe it. Who do you think you are to come here and make decisions for me? »_

 _« As a matter of fact I am you mother and I know a thing or two about this that you don't. »_

 _« Yeah I bet you wish you would have aborted me but guess what, I'm not you. So now, dad I'm sorry you know I love you but I can't stay in this house with_ _ **her**_ _around. I'll see you whenever she grows tired of this town again. »_ declared Paige before grabbing her coat and heading for the door.

 _« Where are you going? »_

 _« Wherever you're not. »_

As a matter of fact, Paige didn't know where she was going. She couldn't go to Drew, she wasn't ready to face him yet with the news she was bearing. She didn't have to think too much before finding her best option.

A few minutes later, she was at Walter's door, waiting for somebody to open to her. And it was Walter himself who opened her door, giving her this feeling of deja vu, from when she came knocking to his door a few weeks ago.

 _« Oh hey Paige. I'm sorry I didn't call you yet, we've been very busy around here. Sylvester is participating to a TV game to try winning money to help research for Megan's disease. So you know… we're getting him ready and all. »_

 _« That's okay Walter, I understand. Do you want me to come back later? »_ she asked, a bit reluctantly though.

 _« No, no! Come in, you know I… always have time for… a friend. »_

Paige smiled and followed Walter who lead her to some quiet place of the apartment after she greeted everyone, getting a heavy look from Toby on the way.

 _« So, is there something you want to tell me? »_

Paige started to think of a way to tell him. It was the opposite of logical that she was stressed about this when he wasn't even the father, but she really needed to be reassured now.

 _« I just… well first of all my mother is home. So I told you how things are with her, I wasn't exactly thrilled to see her. And also… please don't judge me Walter but I just… I found out I was pregnant today so I'm pretty much a mess right now. »_

Walter stared at her for a few seconds, probably wondering what people normally answer in such a situation.

 _« Wow Paige that's… that's a big thing… What are you going to do? »_

 _« I don't know… I guess I'm going to keep it. I just can't… abandon it you see, this is my own flesh and blood. »_

 _« How did Drew take it? I mean he is the father right? »_

 _« Yeah about that… I didn't tell him yet. »_

Walter felt surprised that she announced him the new before the actual father of the baby, but at the same time he felt proud that she trusted him enough to come to him first. He noticed that Paige seemed a little overwhelmed by the situations and that her eyes were wet so he tentatively put his hand on top of hers.

 _« I'm… sure that whatever you decide it will be the good decision for you Paige. »_

 _« Thanks Walter. It means a lot that I can talk to you you know. »_

Walter was about to answer when Toby's voice resounded from the other side of the loft, asking for his help about something.

 _« I… probably go check this. So um… »_

 _« Walter can I stay here tonight? »_ suddenly asked Paige.

« _Uh… »_

 _« Please? I can't go home with my mother there and I'm to exhausted to deal with Drew now. I promise you won't even notice I'm here. I'll sleep on the couch or whatever… »_

 _« There's now way you sleep on the couch, especially on your condition. »_ argued Walter.

 _« I take that as a yes. Thanks, you're the best. »_ said Paige before dropping a peck on Walter's cheek.

Later this evening, Walter went to check on Paige who was installed in his bedroom and saw she was already asleep. He looked at her for a moment, admiring how beautiful and peaceful she seemed and went to spend his night in the couch. His sleep was agitated with dreams where him and Paige would have a child together but in the end the baby turned out to have Drew's face. Dreams he swore to himself he would never tell anyone about, especially not Toby…


	25. Chapter 25

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 25

The following morning, Paige was woken up gently by Walter. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was and what was the situation. She wished that it was all a bad dream. Well, not **all** of it, because actually waking up in Walter's sheet with his perfume surrounding her was quiet enjoyable.

 _« Hey Paige, I have to go, I'm fixing the wifi at Kovelsky's. You know since I don't… go to school anymore I'm taking small jobs while I wait for my first Homeland case. But… you can… stay here if you want, I don't mind. »_

 _« No that's okay. That's very sweet of you to offer but I need to clear some things up you know. I'll hurry and leave at the same time you do if that's okay? »_ asked Paige, trying to order her thoughts about how she was going to organize her day.

 _« Sure. I can give you a ride if you want? »_

 _« Yeah I'd like that. »_

Paige had slept fully clothed so she only had to put her shoes on and was ready in no time. Always thinking about her well being, Walter prepared her rapidly some coffee and eggs, saying that she shouldn't start the day with an empty stomach and that Kovelsky could wait a few minutes. Paige was very very touched by how attentive he was and wondered if it was too early to put that on the account of hormones.

After eating her breakfast, Walter led her to his car. She knew he had his driver license but the vehicle had to be very recent because she didn't recalled him having a car. As if he was reading her mind, Walter explained.

 _« I bought it with the advance Cabe gave me, figured it was easier for this uh… small jobs thing you know. »_

Paige nodded and the drive went with them doing small talks about Walter's project now that he was 'free'. When they arrived a few blocks from Drew's apartment, Walter stopped.

 _« I think it's… um better if I let you here and you walk the last few meters… If that's okay with you I mean it's not that I can't leave you a bit further but just… You know I don't think that uh… that Drew would be very pleased to see me with you. »_

Paige couldn't argue on that, and getting Drew mad right before she announced him that he was going to be a father was surely a bad idea.

 _« Thanks for having me last night Walter. And for everything. »_

 _« If you ever need something else… »_

 _« I know. »_

Paige pursed her lips, not wanting to go out of the car, but knowing she had to. Walter was looking at her interrogatively, not sure if he had to let her take her time or ask her to get out of his car because he was more than a few minutes late now. But after a few seconds Paige pressed a kiss on Walter's cheek, and left him without a word more. He thought that her lips stayed way more than the average time against his skin, and wondered if that meant something or not.

As she was walking to Drew's door, Paige's heart was starting to beat faster and faster. What if took it so bad he left her? She would have to raise a kid on her own, assuming being a single mom at only seventeen. All kinds of questions were rushing to her head as she knocked and she almost wanted to run away when Drew opened the door.

 _« Hey baby! You didn't tell me you were coming, but I'm glad to see you, I actually wanted to see you to tell you about something. Come in, I was just preparing breakfast. »_

 _« I ate already thanks. »_ said Paige as she entered.

Drew rapidly noticed something was off with her, as she didn't kiss him, or didn't even smile and had a very concerned look on her face.

 _« Is something going on? Did I do something? »_ he asked, on the defensive.

 _« Not everything is about you. »_ answered Paige without thinking, in an exasperated way. _« I mean, this is a about you in a way, and this is… kind of something you… we both did. But… »_

 _« What are you talking about Paige. »_

Paige took a deep breath and thought that the faster she told him, the faster she would be released from this burden.

 _« I am pregnant. »_

Drew stared at her in shook, with his eyes and mouth wide open.

 _« What ? How is that possible? »_

 _« I don't know I… »_

 _« Am I the father? »_

Paige stopped net talking to stare at him.

 _« Are you kidding me Drew? You're really asking that? »_

 _« Well I… okay sorry, I panicked but… I don't know Paige, what are you going to do? »_

Paige was already tired of this question and she knew she would have to endure a lot more of it. But most of all, she was afraid that Drew wouldn't agree with her decision.

 _« I… I want to keep it Drew. And I… I'm doing this wether you want to be a part of it or not but… Just know that it would really help me feeling supported. It's not like my parents are much help and… »_

 _« Hey Paige, I respect your decision, and as much as I'm afraid to be ill equipped for this, I'll… Well I guess I'll do my best do make a decent father. »_ he said, taking Paige in her arms. He was scared as hell of course, he was only a teenager and he liked teenager things, he didn't feel ready at all to have responsibilities and act like an adult, but he tried not to show Paige.

 _« So… »_ said Paige sniffing against his shirt, « _what is this something you wanted to tell me about? »_

 _« Oh this… Well I… I had a call last night from an university in Portland and… They want me in their baseball team, and I could even start training with the pros and all so I thought… that since you practically already live with me well… We could maybe… move there together. »_

Paige had to remember how to breath after a few seconds paralyzed. Everything in her life was going to fast. In a day she passed from being a normal teenager to the possibility of being a mother, living in another town with the father of her child. She might be more mature than a lot of girls, this still sounded very grown up to her.

 _« I… I don't know… That's a serious thing you're asking me. I mean I still have to take care of my father and… »_

 _« Don't worry, you don't have to answer right now. The scholarship is for next year so we have the holidays to think about it. I just… want you to know that I might not be around much in the next few weeks. I have to go to Portland to make some tests with the team but… Well I didn't expect you would be… I mean if you don't want me to go because you want me to be here for… I don't know medical appointments and all… I can tell them… »_

 _« No that's okay Drew. This is your dream coming true, I won't keep you from it. I can deal with it I guess. »_ Paige said without much conviction.

She didn't have a good feeling about this, it would start like this and end up with him missing every big step of the process. But he reacted well to the news, so she guessed she should leave him a chance. The thing growing inside her stomach was half his after all.

 _ **So I know that Drew is a very depreciated character and that some of you might have expected him to screw this big time but I don't think things happened this way with the character on the show, not at this point at least. I don't hate Drew this much in fact, I think that he was just a kid when Paige got pregnant and he couldn't deal with it, and also he wasn't the right man for Paige of course. But motives for some Drew hate might come later on this story ahah.**_


	26. Chapter 26

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 26

 _ **Just so you know, I'm going to do a little hiatus from this story after this chapter. I don't have any chapters ahead anymore and I have a lot of work so I'd rather take a break than writing poor chapters because I don't have the time to give you quality content. It won't take long though, because I have a week of holidays coming soon so I might be able to write some chapters during then. A big thanks to everyone who followed this story every day and of course I can't thank enough all the people who gave me reviews that motivated me to keep this thing up for almost a month. I'll be back soon with more angst, sweet moments and character development for this story :)**_

A month after Paige announced Drew the news, it was the end of school so he immediately flew to Portland for some physical tests with the baseball team and Paige's friends were all going to summer parties, binge drinking and all so she pretty much found herself alone in her boyfriend's apartment. She was already exhausted after passing her final exams with all these changes going inside her body, the only thing she wanted now was to rest. At first people asked her why she wasn't celebrating summer with them but of course she had told none of them that she was expecting a child and they rapidly gave up to even forget she existed and she had to come to the fact that although she could easily be hanging out with a lot of people, she didn't have any real friends. Apart from Walter of course, who would text and check on her everyday, ask her if she needed anything and offering his help all the time. Two weeks ago she started having morning sickness so he would just call her and tell her what sort of food she should eat that would be good for her organism and everything. Sometimes, when Drew wasn't gone to Portland yet, he would even drive to their place and leave things in front of the door, and she would say to Drew that it was her father trying to take care of her in his own way. In fact she had almost no contact with her parents since she told them about the pregnancy but she could live without it. She was glad that she knew for sure she could count on Walter. Sometimes the words of Toby came back to her, this time when he told her that she would eventually hurt him and that she should back off before doing so. But she already hurt him once and she learnt from her mistake, they were good friends and they could spend time with each other without anyone having to say anything about it.

So it made sense that when she had her first echograph and Drew wasn't around to come with her, she decided to call Walter instead. She composed his number and he picked up on the first tone, something she got used to since he became really reactive to her calls.

 _« Hey Paige, is everything okay? »_ he asked in a concerned voice. He was always concerned about her these days, worrying all the time about her and the baby's well being. He was showing in every way a genius like him could do that he genuinely cared about her and her baby and ut really touched Paige. He was acting like he was the father sometimes and since a few days, she was starting thinking that it would have been much better this way. In fact, she was trying to repress some feelings she started to develop for the young genius because she thought that they were only here because her world was upside down these days, and that she couldn't leave Drew when he accepted to get involved in his child's life. She didn't want him, or her, to come to the world with an unstable family and separated parents, she knew better than anyone that it was a unhappy environment to grow in.

 _« Hi Walter. Yeah, don't worry I'm fine I just… I recalled I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, first scan you know and… well since Drew is out in Portland I thought maybe you could come with me? »_

 _« Sure. »_ Walter answered without hesitating a second. _« At what time do I pick you up? »_

 _« Well the appointment is at 3 so be here at 2:30. »_

 _« Sounds good to me, see you there. »_

Like always, Walter was here at the exact time she told him to come. He picked her at Drew's and they headed together to the clinic.

 _« So… Drew is in Portland? »_

 _« Yes Walter. But please stop thinking what you're thinking right now. »_

 _« Oh, and what am I thinking? »_

 _« Please Walter, I can feel your heavily judgmental tone. You're despising Drew for not being here with me and I know that you're never going to think of him as your best friend but he isn't a bad person you know. He offered me to stay and refuse the place in the baseball team many times, and I'm the one who told him to go. »_

 _« I don't understand why you would do that. »_

Paige liked to think that she did it because she was a selfless person and she didn't wanted Drew to give up on his dream because she forgot to take her stupid pill one day, but it went way beyond that. She didn't want him to stick around because he felt obliged, being frustrated and without really having his heart into it. She was kind of distancing herself from possible problems by letting Drew go to Portland and she knew that it wasn't a good strategy on a long term but for now she needed space.

 _« Because Walter, I think it's best for him not to put his whole life on off mode at only eighteen. »_

Walter wanted to argue with this but he didn't want to upset her so he just shut his mouth and the rest of the ride was silent. When they arrived to the hospital, Walter let Paige do al of the talk and he just sat quietly besides her in the waiting room. Hospitals made him uncomfortable because it brought back bad memories of when they had discovered his sister's condition. They were already in the US, just the two of them and he had to deal with a lot of things on his own before their parents could join them. They had insisted that Megan would come back in Ireland with them and it had resulted on big fights in hospitals corridors.

But today was different, they were actually here for some happy news, so Walter calmed down and tried to adopt an as reassuring attitude as he could with Paige.

After a few minutes of waiting, a doctor came to get them, they went into the consultation room and Paige leaned down and revealed her stomach. It was still perfectly flat and if he didn't know it Walter would have never guessed she was expecting.

 _« So, I don't think I'm taking to much risk saying this is your first? »_ asked the doctor.

 _« No indeed, that was a safe question. »_ answered Paige, smiling to the woman.

 _« This is going to be a little cold. »_ said the doctor before putting some gel in Paige stomach. Then she started the scan and to Paige it was nothing but black and white forms at first, but the doctor told her that everything was fine and that she was doing very well. Then she paused the screen in a way they could really see the baby's shape and Paige got all emotional. She turned to Walter and said :

 _The baby's going to have your eyes. »_

 _« Even if I was the father you couldn't possibly know how it's eyes are going to be. »_

Paige burst out of laughter at how… Walter his answer was.

 _« It was a joke silly you. The baby's going to look like me anyway. I mean it better be 'cause I'm pretty good looking right? »_

Walter blushed and mumbled « _One can't argue that you have a… pretty symmetric face. »_

The doctor was now looking back and forth between the two teenagers, not sure if this was all a big joke or not and Paige couldn't help but laugh more, releasing all the stress she might have and being really glad that she asked Walter to come with her.


	27. Chapter 27

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 27

 _ **Aaaaand I'm back! So I've been free from class for two weeks now and I still have more than a month before my final exam and I think I will go crazy if I do nothing but work during this time so I wrote a little bit of this story during my short breaks and it lead me to like five chapters ahead. And since I hate having stuff written on my computer and not sharing it, I give you this. I won't update every day of course but I might just do some random updates during the month to dome. I hope it hasn't been too long and you'll still read and enjoy this!**_

 _ **A few reminders because it's been a while : It's summer holidays, Paige is pregnant with Drew, who's not around a lot because of the Portland stuff so she grows closer to Walter. Walter has been expelled from school and signed a contract with Homeland thanks to Cabe (and also he his married to Happy).**_

It's been a week since the echograph and Walter hasn't seen Paige a lot since then because Drew was in LA for a while. Walter pretended like he didn't mind seing Paige only when her boyfriend was out of town but he was actually boiling inside. He was the one helping her through every important step of this process, taking care of her and her baby and all, but as soon as Drew was here, it was like he didn't existed. Of course Drew was the father and he couldn't argue that the boy had every right to be around Paige but… Walter kept thinking that he shouldn't have accepted the offer in Portland if he loved her so much.

About that, Paige said many times to Walter that she hadn't decided yet if she was going to go live with him or not, and it scared him to hell. It was funny how he went from being obsessed with her at school to really needing her in his life. She hadn't done anything special to deserve the genius affection, she just had to be herself. A few very realistic dreams and many talks with Toby where his friends told him repeatedly that this was what love looked like led him to believe that yes, he actually had feelings for Paige. But this small voice inside him was still repressed by bigger parts of his brain such as logic and reason. Besides, Paige didn't shared the same feelings for him since she was still with Drew, Walter was just a friend to her, right?

Walter tried to document himself a little and he read things saying that someone can love two persons at the same time, or that sometimes people can get bored of their partners so they cheat on him with someone else, but he didn't want to be this guy ever.

Anyway, today he would have to get his mind off Paige because he had a mission with a private contractor. It wasn't something huge, the guy just had a failure in the security software of his company's main building and he needed it to be fixed, but he was paying a lot and Walter couldn't afford to blow it up. He still didn't have any mission from Homeland and he had to help his sister paying their rent, put gas in his brand new car and all…

So when he arrived to the big skyscraper, Walter tried to focus more or less successfully on what was important today, and luckily for him, it was what he knew best to do. His contractor welcomed him and installed him in the IT room, rapidly deserting him to « take some important phone calls ».

Walter didn't mind, he preferred working alone in fact, he was much more efficient if he didn't have to explain everything he did to someone who wouldn't get it anyway. He rapidly analyzed the problem and launched one of the software he built to resolve it. It shouldn't take long but he had to stick around doing nothing for about half an hour, letting his technology work. He thought about texting Paige but he was afraid Drew would see it. Even if Paige took the precaution to change his name into a girl one in her phone, you never know. Walter wasn't confortable about having to be so secretive about his friendship with Paige. He felt like a secret lover and as said before, he would never be that guy. But it wasn't like there was many other solutions for now.

 _« Hey you. »_

Walter jumped at the girl's voice. He didn't hear her coming, too absorbed in his thoughts. He stared at her for a while, probably in his usual weird way, but she didn't seem to mind. She was approximately his age, blond and quiet good looking.

 _« Uh… Can I help you? »_

 _« Well, if you can help me get out of boredom then yes. »_

Walter didn't answer, looking at her curiously. As if she was reading his mind, the girl introduced herself.

 _« I'm Linda, the boss' daughter. I'm supposed to be here on training but my dad doesn't trust me doing anything so I just… wander around you now. Anyway, who are you? You're the first teenager I see here since… well I never saw any teenager around here in fact. »_

 _« I uh… I'm Walter. I'm fixing… security. »_

 _« Duh. I kind of figured that out. But why did my dad chose you? You're just a boy. And I'm the perfect example that he doesn't usually trust young unexperienced people within his precious company. »_

Linda just managed to catch Walter's attention and he was ready to protest that he was very experienced and that his dad chose him because he was more than overqualified for the job thanks to his particularly high IQ but her father appeared right at this moment.

 _« Linda, what are you doing here? Don't disturb the IT guy please, he's doing something important here. Why don't you go… I don't know ask Martin if he has something you can do. »_

 _« Yeah sure, I'm gonna ask Martin the_ _ **receptionist**_ _if he has something your stupid daughter can do while you smart guys discuss important things. That's fine with me! »_

And with that, the girl turned her back and left, both her fist closed with anger, leaving her dad exasperated and Walter perplex.

 _« Sorry about that, she can be quiet a number. Are you okay in here? I can get someone to bring you… something to drink or anything if you'd like? »_

 _« Oh thanks, but I'm almost done here. »_

 _« Good. Well when you've finished just show yourself out okay? I'll send you the pay on your bank account. »_

 _« Sounds fine to me. »_

Walter was glad this went so well. Of course it was the simplest job for him on paper, but he was always afraid to have to interact too much with normal people which one in two lead to him blowing things up.

So when his software was done updating the security system, Walter did as the guy told him and sneaked out of the building. Once outside, he was rapidly stopped by a voice he recognized from minutes before.

 _« Hey IT guy! »_

Walter turned around to face Linda, founding her awkwardly close.

 _« My name's Walter. »_

 _« Yeah, whatever. About earlier, I didn't want you to see that, it's just that my dad can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. »_

 _« I thought he was a nice guy. »_

 _« Sure, well, you must be one hell of a smart guy for him to be nice to you. Anyway, If you care to see that I'm not this stupid, here's my number. You should call me sometimes. »_

Linda handed him a piece of paper with her phone number written on it and went back rapidly into the building without adding anything. Walter stayed planted right there a few seconds, not sure about what happened, before stuffing the paper in his pocket and walking to his car.

'What a strange day' he thought.

 _ **Like I explained in previous chapters, my goal for this story is to introduce all the characters who have been a little important to the show during these 3 seasons so, here is one more :)**_


	28. Chapter 28

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 28

Summer had gone so fast, Paige didn't see it go. In the end, she had spent most of it with Drew, going to Portland for a few weeks with him, but she missed Walter a little. No, in fact she missed him **a lot.** Portland was okay but… it was a little weird. Besides, it's well known that it rains a lot there (Walter actually repeated that so much to her that it was the only thing that came to her mind when Portland was mentioned) and she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of living here.

So a few days before the end of summer, she had told Drew that she wasn't coming with him and that they would have to figure something else out. At first he got angry, and she saw another glimpse of how scary he could be. He told her that he had been doing many efforts to conciliate his new position in the Portland team and her pregnancy, that he had to sell his apartment here and she would have nowhere to live and that it wasn't his damn fault she forgot her pill and couldn't accept to be under the same roof of her mom. But that made her cry, a lot. So he freaked out and left the place to go clear his ideas, and when he came back he acted very softly, telling Paige that he would have a very good scholarship in Portland anyway and added to the money his parents would lend him, he could afford both apartments. And that if he couldn't he would find a night job or something. He told her that he would come here every time he could and that if she felt like it she could also come to Portland once in a while. But it didn't make her feel better. She felt this mixture of guilt, because she was imposing him all of this, and fear that even if he made it up to her, the soon to be father of her child could have anger outbursts like this.

But since this discussion, they were pretending like nothing happened, and they never talked about it again. Drew kept her in the dark about the details of his future life in Portland, but she didn't ask either.

And now she had to go to the campus to explain them that she was dropping school because of her pregnancy. She was really having the worst time ever. There was only one person she wanted to spend time with right now and it was Walter. Just like pretty much every day since she met him to be fair, but especially these days. Unfortunately she didn't want Drew to have more reasons to be mad so they hadn't seen each other a lot the past month.

Meanwhile, Walter had done a lot of side jobs during the summer, and he even had his first case with Homeland. He nearly died during it, but he somehow made it out and managed to save a lot of people. Since they all had free time, he also asked for the help of his friends once in a while which was twice more efficient on some cases. He was very proud of the work he was accomplishing lately, and he was starting to build himself a little reputation as he managed to start saving a good amount of money.

So back at his apartment in this late summer day, he started to make some counts and maybe soon he would have enough to make some projects of him come true…

 _« What are you doing little bro? »_ asked his sister, seeing him all absorbed in paperwork. It was unusual because he hated paperwork, and she was often the one filling it for him, not even sure that he realized it.

 _« I'm thinking about… buying this place. With the garage also. But with the assurance and all I miss a few dollars if I want to make it work and still have some money to save just in case. I don't think I can go to the bank, because of my age, the fact that I don't have any real job on paper, no degree and… »_

 _« How much are you talking? »_

 _« You're not helping me, I can't ask you that. »_

 _« Why couldn't you? Hey I live here as much as you do Walter. Besides, I have a job and a degree, I can go to the bank. So, how much? »_

 _« Well I… I could really use like… 200,000$ maybe 300. I'll pay you back once I have done more contracts with Homeland. »_

 _« So you can kick me out and have the place all by yourself? No way! »_

Walter smiled, he had the best sister in the world.

He was in a good place right now. He knew that leaving school would do him some good but he never thought it would be this good. Most of the time he liked the jobs he was given, he felt more useful, and he also had a lot of time for himself to do research for Megan's condition. Now he was probably going to own his place too. The only thing he missed was… Paige. They hadn't seen each other much and even if most of the time he was really busy, he still spent plenty of hours thinking about her and wondering if she was okay.

So he decided to call her, hoping they could talk a little this evening. She picked up on the second tone.

 _« Oh hey um… Kat! How you're doing? »_

Kat was the name Paige used in her phone to name Walter, so she made it pretty clear that she was with Drew at this exact moment.

 _« I should call you later. »_

Walter was about to hang up but Paige stopped him.

 _« No, please don't go. »_

 _« Now doesn't seem like a really good time to talk. »_

 _« No it's a good time don't worry I'm not doing anything. I just got Drew next to me but I can talk. Or listen, whatever you want. »_

Walter was about to give up and ask her some news about the pregnancy but he heard some distant 'Hi Kat' from Drew and it made him sick to his stomach.

 _« I'm sorry Paige, I just… hope you're fine. I'll talk to you… some other time. Bye. »_

And before she had the time to protest, he hung up. It was something hard to do, pushing Paige back like this, but this relationship wasn't healthy for him. She clearly was engaged with Drew on a long term base so he figured out he should distance himself a little, the time to move on from whatever feelings he had, and then maybe they could be good friends.

Thinking about how irrational he had gotten these past few months, Walter spotted a piece of paper on his desk, and decided to do something even more irrational. He picked his phone again and dialed this other number.

 _« Hello? »_

 _« Hi Linda, this is uh… this is Walter. »_

She didn't answer at first so he thought it would be best to precise.

« _The IT guy. »_

 _« Yeah I remember you. I just thought I would never hear from you again. I tried stalking you on Facebook but I couldn't find you. »_

 _« Yeah I… I'm not much of a social media guy. »_

 _« Anyway, when should we see each other? »_

Walter was surprised at first, and then wondered why he was surprised. After all he was calling her after she gave him her number, it made sense that he should ask her out.

 _« Well uh… are you free on Saturday? »_

 _« Sounds good to me. I have to go right now but text me the details! »_

 _« O-Okay. »_

 _« Hey IT guy, I'm glad you called. »_

And then she hung up. Walter first wondered if she was ever going to call him by his first name, but then he moved on to a much more important question : What did he just do?

Linda was okay but she was a normal girl and he had no idea how to act around a girl like her except for… right, Paige. After all if he managed to become friend with her, maybe he actually had the social skills to go with a regular girl on… a date? He wasn't sure if that was it, but thinking about it and about what Toby learnt him, it looked very much like a date.

 _ **So I had no idea about how Linda would be as a young person so I took the liberty to imagine her as this weird, but in a funny way, girl who speaks her mind. I don't know where it'll lead me for now ahah but don't worry, we all know what the endgame is.**_

 _ **Also, don't forget to give me feedbacks, I mean I like writing no matter what but it helps to know that people still read this story in order to continue it you know :)**_


	29. Chapter 29

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 29

 _ **Hi! Thanks for the reviews on last chapter :) Quick answer to**_ _ **NCISprobie2**_ _ **about your comment. Well, it's true that I'm trying to keep canon to the story although it's clearly not on everything since well you know, Walter and Paige didn't actually met in college ;) But to be really honest, I knew that Sly was the youngest and that Walter was older than Paige but I didn't remember about Happy's age so I made her older because it was more convenient for this story, it was the easiest way to make the wedding thing work ahah.**_

On Saturday this week, Walter was back at the building where he fixed the security weeks ago to pick up Linda after her day at 'internship in hell that yes, even makes you work on the week end' as she put it. He didn't know where he should take her, in fact he didn't even know if in this kind of situations you go to a fancy restaurant or you stick to something casual like going to the cinema so he let her decide to her greatest pleasure. She chose a nice snack bar with a terrace on the roof and Walter was glad when he saw that it wasn't too expensive because he knew he should pay for everything but he was still being careful about how he spent his money since he decided to buy the garage.

Anyway, Linda was very impressed with Walter's car and talked the whole ride about how her dad didn't even want her to pass her driver licence because he thought she would be a reckless driver. Which in Walter's opinion wasn't a so insane statement but he didn't dare telling her so.

He didn't mind her being a great talker, it prevented awkward silences and he had more time to think about things to say without sounding like a total weirdo.

When they sat at their table, Linda finally took a breath from her almost monologue to ask Walter something he was dreading.

 _« So, tell me a bit about yourself now. »_

 _« Uh… what do you want to know? »_

 _« I don't know, anything! How smart are you to have private contractors at 18 for example? »_

Talking about his intelligence, he knew how to do that. But Toby told him that it made him sound like a jerk. Oh yes, because he told Toby about this night. Biggest mistake of his life. His friend had spent the week making jokes about him and building theory about why he was doing this, most of it revolving around Paige. Anyway, Linda seemed like an honest talker so he figured he might forget what Toby told him about being smooth and subtil for tonight.

 _« I have the fourth highest IQ ever recorded. And I live here alone with my sister so I need money. You know the end. »_

 _« Wow, are you kidding me? Fourth highest IQ? And you're just… fixing stuff in my dad's IT room? »_

 _« I scored 197 at my tests yes. And I don't do only that for a living but that's part of it. »_

 _« So tell me genius boy… »_

Walter cringed a little at this. Paige always called him like that, and he kind of liked it. But seeing it in another person mouth was… weird.

« _… why did you decided to call me after like… a month? »_

Walter didn't anticipated this question. It's true that it didn't make much sense but he couldn't tell her that he did it on impulse after realizing the girl he had feelings for was out of his league. He wasn't much experienced but he still knew a bit about what a girl didn't want to hear.

 _« I don't know I… I just saw your number on my desk and I figured I never called you and… why not you know? »_

Linda seemed satisfied with this answer so Walter sighed. Before she could ask him anything else embarrassing, he took the opportunity to ask her a question in return.

 _« The question is why did… why did you gave me your number? I mean we talked for like thirty seconds. »_

 _« Well I don't know either. I thought you looked intriguing. I'm not one to ask myself many question you know, when I fell like doing something I just do it. Besides, you don't look like any of the guys I've dated before. »_

 _« What do you mean? »_

And just with that, Linda was back on track about how men were always disappointing and she wanted to meet someone different and all. Usually Walter gets rapidly bored of this kind of talk, but he found listening to Linda amusing. In fact maybe he had always been able to follow a conversation with someone normal, but he never bothered trying to pay attention. Then someday Paige taught him how to open up to more normal stuff… God, why did his mind always had to wander back to her? He was on a date with a good looking girl and he couldn't spend five minutes without comparing her to Paige. Maybe moving on would be harder that he thought.

 _« … I mean can you believe that? »_ Linda asked.

And he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Of course he found it amusing listening to her, but once his mind had been focused on some other girl he knew, it was way harder being attentive. Luckily for him, at this exact moment the waiter came and Linda started ordering her meal, forgetting about the question she was asking. Besides, when it was Walter's turn and he asked if they had fermented fish, she immediately focused her attention on this.

 _« Is this a joke you're doing? Do you have that weird deadpan British humor ? »_

 _« I'm Irish. »_

 _« Whatever, are you really going to eat fermented fish? »_

 _« Yeah, that's my favorite food. Why? »_

 _« Walter that's disgusting do you know that? »_

 _« Well I like it, I don't see the problem. »_

Walter was a bit embarrassed about where this conversation was going, but he didn't like people judging his tastes like this. Which happened quiet often, but he never changed them for anyone. Linda was still staring at him, probably trying to determine weather he was a really good comic or if he was just crazy. To his surprise, she burst out of laughter.

 _« Man you're so weird. »_

So long for not sounding like a total weirdo. He didn't really cared, he was used to it after all but still, he wishes he could have been capable of this.

 _« I don't mean it as a bad thing. »_

 _« Re-really? Because that sounds bad to me… »_

Linda calmed down and smiled to him.

 _« I… I just think you're different. But different is good sometimes right? »_

 _« I… I guess. »_

After that, the dinner went well. Linda confessed that she never even tried eating fermented fish so Walter offered her to share his plate but she answered that she would rather die than putting this into her mouth. Walter had to get used to her brutal honesty, she never meant to be mean saying this kind of things, she just didn't think about how he could take it. A bit like him in a way, sometimes he says things offending to people, not even realizing it.

When he took her back to her place, Linda thanked Walter for the night and said that besides the smell of the fish, she had a lovely time and that he was a cute weirdo. But it didn't end there. Before jumping off the car, she dropped a small kiss on his lips. Something he really wasn't prepared to. Then she disappeared into her house and left him with so many questions and no-one to answer it. Did she assumed that they were romantically involved now? Was she officially his girlfriend after that? They were only out once, Toby said that usually you don't make a move until the second or third date. Damn, he didn't mind his life changing lately, but that surely was a lot to process for him.


	30. Chapter 30

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 30

 _ **Special shout-out to my french readers : vous êtes les meilleures ;)**_

Paige was very unhappy about how her last conversation with Walter ended. She knew that he had every right to be a little angry with her, because he was being so adorable with her and she didn't make a lot of efforts on her side but still, she wishes he would just get over the fact that she wasn't going to dump Drew. Because she wasn't stupid, everything was about this.

Anyway, she could agree that most of the blame for the gap widening between Walter and her was on herself so she decided to go see him, saying to Drew that she was going to see her dad while her mother wasn't home. She felt guilty at the lie, because she didn't actually see her father since she left home even though she sent him a few texts giving updates and saying she was okay. She wasn't mad at him, it wasn't his fault if her mother had such power upon him. She made a mental note to take him out on a lunch or dinner later this week and left Drew's apartment.

She walked to the garage and the first door was opened so she entered and climbed the stairs up to the loft. Then she knocked and to her surprise, a young blond girl whom she had never seen before opened to her.

 _« Hi, can I do anything for you? »_

 _« I uh… Is Walter here? »_

The girl looked down at her stomach which was becoming to show off a little and then back to Paige, hesitating for a second before welcoming her.

 _« Sure, come in! »_

Paige followed the girl, perplex about the situation. She had no idea who she was, and Walter never mentioned any other girl friend besides Happy. She was probably their age but she had never seen her at school either.

Walter came from the kitchen, stopping at the sight of her and having this expression that only Paige could spot for a fraction of seconds.

 _« Hi Paige, I… wasn't expecting you obviously. Are you okay? »_

 _« Yeah I just… »_

 _« Is the baby okay? »_ he asked with a worried look.

 _« Yes Walter everything is fine. »_

Linda who was observing the exchange between the two couldn't help stepping in.

 _« Yeah I thought you were pregnant. »_ then turning to Walter, _« Is this…? »_

 _« Oh no, no it's not mine. Paige is just… my friend. »_

Paige knew that he was just stating the truth, but she didn't know why her heart felt like breaking inside her when he said that in such a hurry. Of course Walter wasn't her child's father, and they were nothing more than friends, but still, she sometimes wished things were different.

 _« I should probably go. I'll see you around Walt! »_ Linda said before dropping a kiss on Walter's lips and leaving the apartment, nodding to Paige when she passed by.

Paige had to focus to think straight after what she just witnessed and made sure the girl was really out before starting to talk.

 _« You… you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend. »_

She really wanted to cry now. And she was mad at herself for that, because he absolutely had every right to date someone else, after all she was the one having a baby with another guy.

 _« Yeah well… it's… it's pretty new and… since I never know when I can call you I just… didn't have the time you know. »_

 _« Yeah about that, what was your attitude about the other day? »_ asked Paige, aware she was sounding a lot like she came here to make reproaches when it wasn't her first intention.

« _What attitude? »_

 _« Well I don't know, you calling me then hanging up without even talking to me? »_

 _« I… don't want to talk to you when Drew is around. »_ said Walter in one breath. _« I'm just not comfortable with you pretending I'm… I'm just… one of you girl friends… Maybe it's time you just… stand up for yourself and… well if Drew doesn't like me I don't really care and I don't see why you should. »_

 _« Oh come on Walter! You have absolutely no idea of what's going on with Drew, you can't just tell me how I should act! He's my boyfriend and the father of my child. Just get over it okay? »_

Walter didn't see what hit him. Paige seemed furious and he had no idea what he had done wrong. He was letting her the space she needed, he had helped her when she needed him, and now he was just giving his opinion without pushing her to do anything and she was getting mad at him for no reason? Well a while ago he probably would have shut his mouth but it wasn't going to go this way today. Today he wouldn't just keep everything for himself and then have a sleepless night wondering how things would have gone if he had just spoke his mind.

 _« You have absolutely no right to be angry, you hear me? I've been here for you when nobody was, every time something… fucks up in your life, you come to me,_ __ _not Drew, not your stupid friends, Kat or whatever their names are, no you come to_ _ **me.**_ _And then when you don't need me anymore because you have your playboy, I don't hear from you. So what should I do? You tell me! Should I just sit here in my loft all day waiting for you to get in troubles so we can talk? You see I didn't say anything until now because I know there is a lot going on for you and you're my friend so I'm willing to be patient, but this? Really? »_

 _« Are you telling me this to get me away because you won't have time for me now that you have a girlfriend? »_

Walter could have exploded at that one, she was being so unfair. But despite everything, he didn't have the heart to fight with her. He knew that pregnant women had a lot of emotions outbursts due to hormones and he was ready to blame that for this conversation. But it couldn't continue either.

 _« Paige I think you should go. »_ he said in a very calm voice.

Paige, realizing what she had just done, felt her eyes becoming wet. Stupid hormones. She tried to take a step towards Walter, because she really wanted to hug him right now, but he took a step back.

 _« Please Paige. »_

Paige couldn't hold back her tears anymore, so she started sobbing, and of course, even after what she said, Walter could never bear to see her crying.

 _« Okay, come here. »_ he almost whispered, offering his arms, in which Paige gladly collapsed, sniffing against his chest. She felt ashamed because he was always acting so mature and calm when she was acting like a spoiled little girl, but at the same time it felt relaxing to be in Walter's embrace.

 _« I'm… I'm so-sorry. I didn't mean what I said. »_

 _« I know. You don't have to cry Paige, I'll always have time for you. I just… need to figure some things out you know? »_

Paige pulled out, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

 _« I'll… I'll just leave you alone then. »_

Although she wished he would hold her back, Walter just nodded so she headed to the door. She felt his burning gaze on her back so just before leaving, she turned to him again.

 _« Let's never fight again okay? »_

She had enough of that with her parents and with Drew, Walter was the only person with who she spent more good time than arguing time.

Walter wanted to answer that it was only up to her, because after all she was the one who initiated this one, but he knew better now.

 _« Sure, never again. »_

 _ **Next chapter will be a little longer and with important events so stay tuned… ;)**_


	31. Chapter 31

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 31

 _ **Hey you all! I don't know if I'll be able to keep the updates regular after the few chapters I have already written but I hope you'll enjoy the ride anyway ! :)**_

After leaving Walter's loft, Paige decided she should stop pushing away people who cared about her, so she called her dad to ask him if he wanted to have lunch in a few days. Drew would be out in Portland so she would have plenty of time for herself and she was planning to do get some things right during this time.

Her father seemed really happy to hear from her and he told her that her mother would be out of town the following week so she should come home with him.

It was really tempting, Paige missed her bed, and she missed her dad too. They agreed that they would talk about it when they see each other and then hung up, leaving Paige glad that she made that move.

So three days later, Paige showed up at her doorstep, not ready for her world to fall appart a little more.

The first thing that alarmed her was the ambulance in front of her house, and the abnormally high amount of people agitating on her porch. And then she spotted her mother, talking with some doctor, and she definitely freaked out. She ran towards them, seeing the alarmed look on her mom's face.

 _« What the hell happened? »_

The doctor turned to her and stared at her for a second.

 _« Excuse me miss, who are you? »_

 _« I… I live here! What is all that about? »_

 _« Paige honey… Why don't you calm down and… »_

 _« I won't calm down until you tell me what's happening! »_

Her mother looked very concerned and Paige started to feel her legs shaking. Something really bad happened, she could tell.

 _« It's your dad he… he had a stroke and… No one was around… I just arrived a few hours ago and found him… He told me you were coming for lunch and he wanted to try to… »_

Paige could feel the tears coming, but she wasn't sure she understood the situation correctly.

 _« What are you telling me? »_

 _« I'm so sorry Paige. I really am. »_

Everything around her blurred. A stretcher came out of her house with a body wrapped in some plastic bag and she thought she was going to throw up. It couldn't be possible. Not like this. She heard the doctor talking to her but she couldn't figure what he was saying. Then her mother tried to take her in her arms but she pushed her.

 _« Do not touch me. »_

Paige gathered her thought even though she obviously couldn't think clearly at this moment and left her house to go the only place she knew she could feel safe.

\- After eating with his sister, Walter went back to the loft to work on a new software he was building, but he was barely starting that he heard a knock on his door. He kind of hoped that it wasn't Linda, because even though things were fine with her and she was the first girlfriend he could actually stand, things still felt… a little awkward and he didn't want to rush into anything too serious, and for her to assume that it was normal seeing each other all the time and which would lead to one inevitable thing he really didn't want to think about for now.

But when he opened, it wasn't to find his girlfriend, but to find Paige, her eyes all red from crying. And being surprised, he said something really stupid that he regretted immediately when it came out of his mouth.

 _« I hope you didn't come here to argue because… »_

Paige slapped him. God he could be such an idiot. But she needed him, and before he had time to realize what just happen, she just threw herself in his arms and let her tears flow, tightening her grip around him like she was afraid he would fade away.

Walter didn't dare talking at first. He didn't know why he just said that, even if he saw that she had been crying. For someone who thinks too much he could sometimes not think had all.

Walter, still silent, closed the door with one hand, holding her with the other. She felt so fragile, like she would collapse if he didn't support her. He then moved slowly to the couch and tried to calm her down by brushing her hair and holding her hands. He felt really helpless, because he had no idea what was going on, and he was afraid to speak and say the wrong thing.

When her sobs seemed to be calmer and more spaced, he thought that he had to ask at some point.

 _« Paige… wh-what happened? »_

Paige sniffed and tried to straighten up a little.

 _« It's… it's my dad. »_

 _« What… what about him? »_

 _« I… I lost him… And it's my fault. »_

And then she started again to cry without being able to explain more. Walter understood what happen and felt even more disarmed to help her. He had never faced the loss of someone very close to him and he never knew how to react in that kind of situation. He thought it was stupid to say things like 'He is in a better place now' or 'he is watching at you from above' because it was so not accurate, but again, he really had no clue about what could make someone feel better in this kind of pain. He knew he would be devastated when… _if_ Megan died, but he would probably react differently from Paige, shutting down and pretending everything is okay.

Unconsciously, he had kept on brushing Paige's palm and it seemed to soothe her so he continued.

 _« I'm here Paige. It's going to be okay. I promise you. »_

He didn't know why he said that. It made no sense, he couldn't promise such a thing. But again, nothing he did or said was logical when he was with Paige, he just wanted to reassure her no matter what. And maybe it was the right thing to do since she stopped crying and caught her breath, looking like she was ready to talk a little bit more. So Walter let slip the question that was burning his tongue.

 _« We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but… why do you say it is your fault? »_

 _« He… apparently my dad had… a stroke and… nobody was with him at home to call 911. »_ she started to explain between sobs. _« He just… was alone and… God I'm feeling sick just thinking about it. I should have been here Walter, he would still be here if I wasn't so… stupid and… »_

The end of her sentence stayed confined in her throat. Silent tears were still flowing down her cheeks so Walter brushed them with his thumb and she gently leaned into her touch, feeling better already.

 _« Don't say you're stupid Paige. And above all don't say this is you fault. I… I know it's not the same because I… I didn't know them but… Anyway I know what it is to blame yourself for someone else death. I know the feeling when guilt eats you inside, and feeling so powerless about it. I don't want you to ever feel that way you ear me? »_ Walter forced Paige to look him in the eyes by lifting her chin up. The words came more easily than he thought, like he knew what was the right thing to say after all. _« I won't allow you feeling that way. »_

Paige tears had now stopped and she was just gazing at Walter with those beautiful eyes of her, like it was the first time she saw him. She was surprised that she could actually feel this safe with him. She knew that no matter what, he would always protect her. He didn't even have to say it, it was like a silent pact that they both were aware of but never talked about.

 _« What have I done to deserve you Walter O'Brien? »_ she almost whispered.

 _« I… What do you mean?»_

He was now staring at her with that confused look she liked so much. She liked to know she could make feel insecure when he thought he knew it all about everything, and that he would seek her for answers when he is usually the one resolving problems. Suddenly all her sadness was gone and she just remembered that first day he came talking to her, the day of her birthday. She knew already at that time that Walter was different, but what she didn't knew was that he would become the person she trusted the more on this earth, in so little time. And if it first felt like insane to start hanging out with Walter, it was now the only thing that made sense in her messed up life. And there, just contemplating him, now looking concerned by her silence, she realized that she might just have fallen hard for the genius. In fact the thought had crossed her mind more than once, but she was afraid to accept it. But today, after all this drama… today she didn't care.

Walter still had his hand on her cheek and she realized they were actually really close. So she just leaned in and timidly pressed her lips against his, waiting for his reaction to pursue.

At first Walter was paralyzed. He thought that she couldn't think straight and that he shouldn't take advantage of the situation. But when she started teasing him with her tongue, he couldn't resist anymore. He opened his mouth and reciprocated the kiss with passion he didn't know himself he was capable off. He never wanted to kiss anyone with passion after all, but Paige… he had been wanting to know what her lips would taste like since he first laid eyes on her.

Kissing Paige was nothing like kissing Linda. With Linda it was always brief, and he wouldn't feel anything except maybe annoyance when she insisted on kissing him goodbye.

With Paige it was like he would never have enough. He wanted to make it last as long as he could and remember every details of this moment.

Soon enough, Paige sat on his lap and started to kiss his neck, provoking him to groan softly. And for someone who didn't want to even consider physical intercourse, he became aroused pretty fast. His hands were on her hips and he wanted to bring her closer, but then he felt the small bump of her belly against his own body and his short-circuited brain started to work again at a hundred miles, reciting facts that would ruin this moment.

She was pregnant, and pregnant women had a higher libido, which was probably the reason she initiated this. Adding that to the fact that she was in emotional distress since she lost her dad, she couldn't be thinking straight.

She was pregnant with another man's child, and he was himself in a relationship right now. That's what made him stop it all and gently tear her away from him. He promised himself he would never be this guy. If they were ever going to do this, they would have to do it right, and this moment didn't feel very right to him.

Paige looked confused when he repelled her. Confused and hurt. And he hated to hurt her, especially when she wasn't exactly in the happiest place of her life, but he had to do this.

 _« This is wrong Paige. We can't do this. »_

« _Why couldn't we… ? I just… »_

 _« Please Paige. »_

She didn't understand his reaction. He clearly wanted that, she felt it in the way he kissed her. In fact she knew he wanted that since he started stalking her on the campus. And then again when he was jealous of Drew, and when Toby told her about him having to process his emotions for her… And now that she was finally giving herself to him he would just ask her to leave?

 _« I can't do this Paige, I… I won't do it. »_

She just nodded, whispering an imperceptible 'okay', stood up and rushed to the door before he could see the tears flowing again on her cheeks.

She would be surprised if she would still have tears after crying so much this day in fact.

 _ **Okay, still some angst ahah but you know how things are between these two, it couldn't be so easy right?**_


	32. Chapter 32

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 32

 _ **So… I had most of this chapter written and then I don't know what I did but I just lost everything, and of course I didn't make backup… It's a shame because I spent quiet some time on this one and I was pretty satisfied with what I came up with but I tried to rewrite it the same. Although this is highly possible that you find typos because I wrote it faster not to waist too much time on this. Enjoy it anyway :)**_

The following morning, Walter was still thinking about what happened. He didn't get much sleep in fact, trying to understand all those estranged feelings he had. He was afraid he hadn't been specific enough with Paige when he told her he couldn't do this. What he meant wasn't that he didn't want to kiss her with every fibre in his body, no. What he meant was that he wanted to order things in his life and that doing this right now was too risky.

Paige might make him weak and thoughtless, he still had some principles. He wouldn't be this guy who would just make out with his pregnant friend because she felt vulnerable and then she would go back to her perfect boyfriend (who was in fact in his opinion far from perfect). If they had done that, the probability of him loosing her friendship would have been too high. And it was the last thing he wanted. So even if he desperately wanted to tell her to leave Drew and even come live with him and see where this could go, he was too afraid that things would go the wrong way and he couldn't afford that.

He didn't want to draw too much conclusions from this moment either, because maybe Paige didn't mean it and would regret doing such a thing. Maybe even if he asked her to leave Drew she wouldn't do it. But no matter what she says when he talked to her, because he would, he had to do one important thing first. So as soon as he decided it wasn't too early in the morning anymore, he took his phone to make a phone call. And as usual, Linda picked up on the first tone.

 _« Hey Walter, how are you doing? »_ she said in a very enthusiastic voice.

 _« I'm… I'm okay. Look, I need to talk to you about something. »_

 _« Sure, when can I come by? »_

He was actually thinking on doing this over the phone at first, but then he remembered when Toby said that his last girlfriend was the worst for breaking up with him over the phone, that it was a very cold move and that she was being a coward. And even if he didn't have transcending feelings for her, he didn't want to hurt Linda, she was a nice person. He thought that he really had changed a lot these past few months, because before he would never have cared dumping a girlfriend in a heartless way, he wouldn't even have thought that there was a proper way to do this. But since Paige educated him to develop his EQ, he realized that he had to treat people with respect if he wanted some in return.

 _« Uh… Whenever you want, I'm not planning on doing anything. »_

 _« Great, I'll be there in half an hour with breakfast. »_

Walter wanted to tell her that he already had breakfast but before she left him the time to do so she hung up. Walter didn't understand why he couldn't like her the way he like Paige. She was a very spontaneous girl, she was pleasant to hang with, quiet good looking, but still he didn't have this knot in his stomach when he spotted her like he had with Paige. He also didn't understand why Linda cared for him this way. They hadn't known each other for long and even if he was nicer with her that he had been with his previous girlfriends, he wasn't exactly the definition of warm and caring either. He thought that things were badly done, for him to be liked by a girl he didn't liked the same way, and have… special feelings for someone already with someone else. Maybe developing his EQ had some benefits but it also had painful drawbacks.

Anyway, half an hour after her call, Linda was showing on his doorstep with a bag full of waffles and bagels. It was a lot too much, especially since he ate already, but Linda wasn't used to do half things. So Walter let her in and thought that it would be better if he talked to her right away, to rip the bandage off before he would find himself an excuse to change his mind.

 _« Um Linda, I really think you and I should talk. »_

 _« Okay. »_ she said easily, « W _hat is it about? »_

 _« I… I'm sorry but I just… don't think that this… you and I… I don't think it's going anyway. »_

Linda's smile fade away but she didn't seem too sad either.

 _« I see… I guess it makes sense. »_

Walter was surprised about her reaction, he didn't think it would be so easy.

 _« You're not… upset? »_

 _« Why would I be? You're a nice guy but you're right, we don't make sense on a long term. I just don't think we're looking for the same thing in a partner. »_

Walter let out the breath he was catching. He was so glad she was so understandable, if only all of his talks could turn out this way.

 _« But Walter? »_

 _« Yeah? »_

 _« Maybe we could still… Be friends? I mean you're a cool dude and my father makes me go to that stupid private school were everyone is either boring or a douche, I could use a nice guy to hang out with you know. »_

Walter was surprised about her proposition, but at the same time he was proud to see that his presence could actually be enjoyed by normals. He never had any interest into relationships with normal people, but he could see now that it was also a nice thing to make friends and have social relations.

 _« Okay, yes. Friends sounds good to me. »_

Linda's big smile was now back on her face.

 _« So, how about we eat this waffles and you tell me everything about that pregnant girl I saw the other day? »_

Walter froze, why was she involving Paige into this? Did women really have a sixth sense to know when there is someone else involved? Maybe Linda was playing nice just to catch him confessing what he did and get mad at him.

 _« Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. It's about her right? I mean I only had to be in the same room as the two of you a minute to see that something is going on. You know I thought it was bullshit when people say you can know when someone likes someone else just by his look but man the way you were looking at her was actually really painful to watch. Like I realized I got myself in the middle of something important and I actually felt bad for it. »_

He couldn't believe what he was earring. So in fact Linda was the opposite of mad at him for breaking up she was actually… glad that he wanted to leave her for Paige? It made no sense.

 _« You know that the baby's not mine right? »_

 _« Yeah, whatever, it's the 21st century boy, girls get pregnant, rise children with another man, this shit happens all the time. »_

Walter wasn't exactly sure about the accuracy of her statement but he decided not to argue with her on this.

 _« So, tell me your story, as your new friend, I have to know everything. »_

Walter hesitated for a second before taking a breath and telling her the whole story, from the day he went talking to Paige for her birthday. He skipped that last part though, because even if Linda seemed okay with him having feelings for another girl while he was with her, he wasn't sure the kissing would be so okay. He eventually realized that it felt good to be able to talk about all this to someone besides Toby or his sister, who actually knew him a little too much for him to be comfortable with subjects like this, without holding back anything. He didn't know why it was so easy talking about this to Linda, but he thought he never talked this much to a normal person in his life, without interrupting himself by fear of sounding stupid. Linda seemed really captivated by his story and when he finished she was looking all excited.

 _« Oh. my. god. I'm shipping you so much guys, we have to find a way to get rid of her stupid baseball player. I've seen my share of boys like him, they're all the same. »_

Walter didn't know if it was normal to be this involved into helping your fresh ex-boyfriend getting someone else but again, Linda was a number, as her father put it.

 _« Wait, you told me her father died right? »_

 _« Uh… yeah yesterday. »_

 _« Okay so we'll have to wait a little because I don't thinks it's respectful starting our Waige plan in this circumstances but you're definitely going to talk to her soon, to tell her you're not with me anymore. You know, drop some clues here and there. »_

 _« Wait… 'Waige' plan? »_

 _« Yeah, Walter and Paige combined you know? »_ Linda saw he was looking at her in a skeptical way so she gave him a tap on the shoulder. _« Come on, don't you think it sounds great? »_

He actually liked the sound of it, he just hopped he didn't got too caught up in Linda's enthusiasm and wouldn't be too disappointed if life didn't follow the big plans she was making for them.


	33. Chapter 33

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 33

Immediately after he learnt for her father, Drew flew back from Portland to support Paige. It was a good thing she thought, this way she wouldn't feel alone with only her dark thoughts to keep her company. Because she was having the worst days ever. She was devastated about her father, still feeling guilty even with what Walter told her. And well, there was him of course, Walter. She felt so stupid for jumping on him like this when she should have been mourning, but also very guilty because in spite of what she was telling herself, it wasn't in the heat of the moment. Of course in another context, she probably would have think more, but deep down she knew it was really what she wanted.

But anyway, she regretted doing it so much, because it only made her aware of what she was feeling, and gave her a taste of what kissing Walter felt like, and god it felt awesome, when he clearly wasn't feeling the same. Sure he kissed her back, he was a man after all. But then he pushed her away, telling her that he couldn't do this, and that it was wrong.

In a way she knew he was right but still… that hurt like hell. She always thought that it was what Walter wanted, that he would give up everything for her, it was her mistake. He was different, and what she took for more than friendship probably wasn't.

It was probably better this way, now she wouldn't have to worry about Drew and how to deal with him. Of course she felt horrible, because he was being really nice to her these days, and the only thing she could think of was the word 'cheater' twinkling. But she couldn't tell him, he would get so mad, especially at Walter when he did nothing wrong. She was the one who initiated it after all. God she was so dumb to think she could do whatever pleased her in life and everything would follow.

Paige self-pitying was interrupted by the vibrations of her phone. It was a text from Walter : _« Can we see? Need to talk. »_

In fact she wasn't sure she wanted to see him right now. First because she was ashamed about what happened and never wanted to talk about it ever again, but also because she was afraid she would be tempted to do it again. But then he insisted by sending her another text that made her give up. So she dressed up, get her stuff, but of course Drew stopped her.

 _« Where are you going babe? I really think you need to rest, you look exhausted. »_

 _« That's okay, I'm just heading out to see Kat for a while. »_

 _« Oh. Do you want me to come with you? »_

 _« Oh I don't think you would like it we're um… going to do girl things to… cheer me up you know. »_

 _« Okay. Don't come home too late then. »_

She knew he was only being protective, but Paige didn't like it when Drew was acting like he was her… her dad. She felt like crying at the thought of her father, the pain was so fresh.

 _« I think it's funny how you stayed close to just Kat and not any other girl of your squad. »_ commented Drew.

*Cheater! Cheater!*

Paige pushed the guilty feeling away and composed her best stoic face.

 _« Yeah, I guess in these moments you see who your true friends are. »_

Drew just nodded and she was finally free to go. It was still late-summer hot outside and Paige hadn't been outside in two whole days so she took the liberty to wander a little before getting to Walter's apartment. She took time to think calmly, and decided she would agree with Walter that this was all a mistake and that they should pretend like nothing happened. His friendship was way too much valuable for her to risk it over what was probably caused by her high pregnant woman libido and the fact that her boyfriend wasn't around a lot.

After a few detours, Paige finally ended up at Walter's doorstep, a knot it her stomach as she knocked. But when Walter opened, everything else faded away. He was welcoming her this reassuring face that made her believe that everything was going to be okay when everything was so messed up.

 _« 'Tell Drew you've got girly business with Kat and come over here, I won't take no for an answer.' Really O'Brien? Since when are you so directive? »_

Walter smiled at her and she had to keep herself from kissing those lips of him.

 _« Hey Paige. How are you holding up? »_

She wanted to hold him in her arms, but she knew that it wasn't a good idea so she refrained herself. This was going to be hard.

 _« I'm… still not realizing that my dad… that I won't ever… »_

When he saw she wouldn't be able to finish her sentence, he just made her come in and closed the door behind her. Paige rapidly got herself together and turned again to Walter with a smile.

 _« So, what is so important that you had to see me immediately? »_

Walter started scratching his neck and Paige just knew this was going to be about the other day.

 _« I… uh I think we should talk about… what happened you know. »_

 _« It's okay Walter I understand. You were right, I was being impulsive due to um… the circumstances. It was a mistake and it won't happen again. »_ she declared, trying to convince herself at the same time.

Walter didn't expect that. He was a little disappointed, of course he prepared himself for this possibility, but it wasn't the one he preferred. At least he knew where she stood.

 _« O-Okay. »_

 _« It's better if we forget about it, of course I won't tell anything to your girl and… »_

 _« Oh we're not together anymore. »_

Paige was shocked. Was it because of her? Maybe he told her and she left him. But Walter cut short her speculations by explaining himself.

 _« We um… figured it wasn't going to work so… you know. We're friends though. »_

Yeah, maybe it has nothing to do with her too. Still, it was a strange timing.

« _Great then, I think? »_

 _« Yeah… »_

A strange silence was now installed between them, something that never happened. Paige thought about leaving without saying anything but it would only make things weirder. She hopped that they would rapidly be as comfortable with each other as before, because if every second with him was going to be a silent reminder of what they both chose not to acknowledge, she wasn't sure she could take it.

 _« The… the funeral for my dad is tomorrow. I'd like you to come if you're okay with it. »_

Walter was surprised by the proposition.

 _« I uh… Isn't Drew going to be there? »_

 _« I don't care. You're my friend, I need you. »_

Walter thought about it for a few seconds. Drew wouldn't be very happy about this, but he wouldn't dare getting mad at Paige. He was glad they wouldn't have to hide their friendship anymore, that was all he could ask from her now, and it was enough.

 _« Okay. I'll be here. »_

Now was a good time for a hug, Paige thought. She made it quick so it wouldn't be too painful to stop, but it still made her feel better. She could live with Walter as her best friend only, as long as he was in her life.

 _ **I understand that I don't always take things where they're expected, and well I have to confess I enjoy the slow burn. After all that's what we got for three seasons and you know I want to include all the characters and there are still some we didn't see. Leave a review if you feel like it, it always helps, and if you have suggestion for further chapter and what/who you'd like to see, I would be very happy to read it and see what I can do :)**_


	34. Chapter 34

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 34

Walter was looking at his reflection in the mirror, wearing the black suit Toby accepted to lend him. He was lucky they were approximately of the same corpulence, because he didn't have any clothes appropriated for a funeral and given that Paige told him to come just one day before, he didn't have the time to buy any. He sure had a lot of shirts, he liked wearing it, it made him look more grown up and somehow well shaped, even if he would never admit to care for this kind of things. But nothing in his closet was appropriate for this occasion. In fact he never intended a funeral before. He lost his grandmother back when he was in Ireland, but his parents didn't let him come to the service because they thought that he was 'emotionally troubled' and that the odds of him saying or doing something inappropriate were too high. Then he moved to America and didn't have many news of his relatives, and the only people he cared for were his sister and his very few friends.

Megan arrived in his room and saw immediately that he was nervous, so she helped him with his tie knot and brushed his shoulders.

 _« It's going to be okay little brother. »_

 _« I just… don't know how to behave. »_

 _« I know. But don't put too much thoughts in this. There is no good way of attending a funeral. Just be there for your friend. Show her support you know. »_

Walter sighed and closed the button of his jacket. Then he looked back at his sister and saw she had a guilty look on her face.

 _« Is there something you want to tell me? »_

 _« I… I didn't want to tell you now because it's already a sad day but… well I don't like keeping things from you. I went to an appointment at the bank yesterday and… they refused me the money. I'm sorry. »_

Walter stared at his sister for a few seconds. He almost forgot about his project with everything happening with Paige lately, and it wasn't usual for a genius to even almost forget things.

 _« But… why? »_

 _« It's because of my condition… I had to bring it up you know and they said that… that they can't lend me money knowing that maybe I… I'll never have time to give it back. »_

Walter's throat tightened. He always refused to talk about the fact that his sister might die early. It was the only scientific statement he didn't accept. Because he intended to change it, and the sooner the better.

 _« This is stupid. They can't do that. »_

Megan smiled sadly at him. She knew how her little brother was, so stubborn and thinking that there is no problem he can't solve.

 _« You know Sly offered to marry me and be my warrantor. Of course he is too young but I thought it was really sweet of him to offer. »_

 _« He did what?! »_

Walter got used to his sister and Sylvester dating but he never considered that it was this serious. He didn't even realized that they could have been talking about this together. He thought that they just liked passing time together. But maybe that was what it was all about? Megan just made a sign with her hand saying to forget about what she just said.

 _« That was just the first thing that cross his mind. You're married with Happy now after all so you know he just threw that. »_ she said casually.

Then something started to bother Walter, something he didn't dare thinking about but that actually made sense.

 _« Megan do you… l-love Sylvester? »_

Megan could see he had troubles saying the L word and she almost wanted to mock him, but she knew it was a serious topic and that him accepting that the concept of love could exist was already something huge. And she knew exactly what it was about, and she wanted to fulfill her big sister - confident job the best she could.

 _« Yeah, we do love each other Walter. »_

Walter looked perplex for a few second, probably trying to process this.

 _« How do you know? When you love someone I mean. »_

This time Megan couldn't hold back a giggle. He was so cute, being a little child wondering about the big thing that is love.

« _You just… know Walter. That's the point of love, it's inexplicable, but it is real. You just… feel all those things that you can't identify but you welcome them anyway. »_

Walter didn't know if he was convinced. He sure felt a lot of non identifiable things when he was with Paige, but he wasn't sure he wanted to welcome them. Sometimes it hurts him a lot, and being aware of a pain that you know you can't heal isn't something enjoyable. He would have to think about what his sister told him, but for now, he had to go if he didn't want to be late.

 _« I'll figure out something about the bank issue. See you later. »_ he said before dropping a kiss on his sister's cheek and running out to his car.

\- Paige was in front of the church, taking condolences from people she wasn't even sure she ever met, when she spotted Walter. He was standing a few meters from her, staring at her, and just the fact of crossing his gaze eased a little her pain.

Then she felt Drew's grip on her arm tense when he realized who she was looking at.

 _« What is he doing here? »_ he asked in a not too sharp voice, because he knew better than starting a fight right now, but Paige could still feel the bitterness.

 _« He is my friend. I told him to come. »_

Drew didn't look happy with this answer but he didn't reply. Suddenly Paige felt his touch very discomfortable, so she pulled out from him and entered the church, her throat tight at the idea of formally saying goodbye to her father.

During the service, Walter kept his distances and sat in the back while Paige was with Drew and some family of her in the front. The important thing was to show her that he was here, but he knew that getting closer would risk making a scene with Drew and he didn't want that. He guessed that not all of her family was aware about the pregnancy because some of them were giving her odd looks, and he felt sorry that she was judged by all these people on a so sad day.

Paige said a few words for her dad, who sounded like a very caring person from what Walter understood, before bursting into tears again. Walter was on the verge of getting up to go get her, he couldn't stand to see her like this and he just wanted to hold her, no matter what people would think, but Drew was closer so he was by her side before Walter could act on his feelings and Paige went back to her sit.

Walter was surprised to see that Paige's mother wasn't here. Sure, she didn't seem to be the ideal wife from what Paige told him, but it was still her husband who was being buried. He heard people saying that she just paid for the whole thing but didn't show up.

At the cemetery, Walter also kept his distance, staying in the back but still in a spot where he could see Paige, like he was keeping an eye on her. At some point, she looked at him and he felt heartbroken at how desperate she seemed. Her eyes were all red and the very discrete makeup she put on had faded away. He wanted to run to her, and to hold her in his arms, but he just stayed put, a stoic look on his face.

At the end of the ceremony, people were talking to Paige so Drew took the occasion to go talk to Walter.

 _« Look, I don't know what game you're playing O'Brien, and I won't make a scene today but I strongly advise you,_ _ **again**_ _, to stop whatever you think you're doing with Paige. »_

Walter didn't want to make a scene either, but he wouldn't just agree to what Drew told him. He had enough big popular guys who tell him to stay away in his life.

 _« Oh, so you want me to stop helping her with her pregnancy every time you're away? That's great since she doesn't have anybody to turn to anymore. »_

 _« I sweat to god… »_

 _« Drew, mind if I have a word with Walter? »_ interrupted Paige.

Drew shot Walter a dark look before mumbling some 'Whatever' and giving them some space.

 _« Sorry about that, I'll talk to him. »_

« _You… you don't have to I mean I… I don't want to be of any trouble. »_

 _« You're not. If we're gonna do this together he's going to have to accept my friends. And I don't have many so… Anyway, thanks for coming today. It means a lot to me. »_

Her voice sounded weak and Walter couldn't remember seeing anyone this tired and sad before. And Walter remembered everything. He wanted to bring his hand to her cheek and wipe off the few tears that were slowly flowing, but a lot of people were staring at them, including Drew, so he just stuffed his fists in his pockets.

 _« It's okay. I um… just want to be there for you and… show you support. »_ he said taking his sister's words.

 _« I know. »_ she whispered.

 _« So um… I… I think I'll go now. Unless… unless you want me to stay of course. »_

Paige wanted him to stay, she felt good with him. But even if she was ready to be openly friend with Walter in front of Drew, they still had to take baby steps. There was too much at stake.

 _« No it's okay. But we'll catch up some other day if that's okay with you? »_

 _« Sure. You know I need to go buy clothes so I figured, since you took me out once to help you with that maybe this time… you could come with me? I mean… I don't know if it's a good time for asking… you don't have to if… if you don't want but… »_

 _« I'd love that Walter. »_ she said with a faint smile.

It was the first smile he saw on her for days and he was glad he was the one who brought it.

 **T** _ **his chapter was kind of difficult to write for me because I lost someone close to me recently and I had a really hard time after that. Besides, I'm not always confortable writing about death, it's hard to find the right words to put on grief, so I tried keeping this sober.**_

 _ **Also, I don't mean it as a pressure or anything but reviews really help me to continue writing this for you, when I have no feedbacks I don't know if you guys like what I do or not so it would really mean a lot to me if you take the time to leave a word :) It can be something negative, as long as it's constructive and said kindly, I just have to know so I can make what's coming next better !**_


	35. Chapter 35

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 35

 _ **Thanks for all of your amazing reviews on my last chapters! An author couldn't be rewarded in a better way ! I'm taking in notes your remarks for further chapters so I can produce the best content I can :) I wish I wrote more of the other characters too, but I just have so many ideas for Walter and Paige development that I have to write mostly about them.**_

Summer holidays were now over and it had been a while since Walter hadn't seen Paige. Of course they texted, and called each other a few times, but they never went out as they planned. Walter didn't mind, he understood if Paige needed some space and had other preoccupations than going out with him, and even if deep down he knew he wanted more, he was okay with how things were between them for now. He saw Linda once or twice two, and she didn't share his opinion about stepping back with Paige. She said that if it was her, she would be waiting for Walter to make a move so she could leave the 'stupid baseball player', but Walter thought that Paige was very different from Linda, and well, she was pregnant with Drew too so he was sure he was doing the right thing.

Of course, this self persuasion didn't prevent his heart from skipping a bit when he received a text from Paige that day.

' _So genius boy, are we gonna buy these new clothes or what?'_

Walter immediately answered that he was free whenever she wanted to so the next day, at exactly 3pm, he was picking her up in front of Drew's apartment, which was pretty much her apartment now that school had started again and that Drew was coming back only when he didn't have a game or training on the weekend, meaning almost never.

Paige was now six months pregnant and her belly was much bigger than the last time Walter saw her, but he still thought she looked beautiful.

She was smiling and he was glad to see that she seemed healthy. When she got in the car, she gave him a brief hug and when she saw Walter wasn't starting the car, Paige felt obligated to say something.

 _« I'm glad to see you. It's been a while… »_

 _« Tell me about it. »_

He didn't say this in a mean voice at all, it was just a statement, but Paige could feel he was maybe not angry but at least a little bit sad about it.

 _« Do you want to talk about it? I can expla…»_

 _« No it's ok. »_ interrupted Walter. _« I'm not mad at you, you had a lot to deal with. I just want to enjoy today. »_

 _« Great, me too. Let's go refresh your wardrobe O'Brien. »_

A few minutes later, they were at the mall, Paige doing most of the job as to chose new shirts for Walter.

 _« Come on Walter, you got to help me I'm not going to be the one wearing them! »_

 _« I just… I'm sure whatever you like will be great. Besides I picked something for you last time so it's your turn now. »_

Paige sighed and turned her back on Walter to look for something. When she faced him again she had a purple shirt with a matching tie in her hands.

 _« Okay why don't you try this? »_

Walter nodded and went to a cabin as Paige waited outside for him. While he was changing, he didn't know why he thought this was a good time to ask something he had been meaning to ask Paige, but he just did, maybe because it was easier asking about personal stuff when he wasn't facing her to see all the emotions her face could show.

 _« Paige I um… I was wondering… Why wasn't you mother here at the uh… at your dad's funeral? »_

 _« Oh. My mother. »_

She then marked a pause and Walter thought he was a moron for even bringing the subject. He still had to learn to keep some questions to himself, or for a more appropriate moment.

 _« I'm sorry, you don't have to… »_

Paige grabbed the curtain of the waiting room and started playing with it. Walter could see her hand toying with the folds of it and he regretted not being able to see her face after all.

 _« No don't apologize, I'm okay telling you. Well I told you things weren't good with my mother but I didn't ask her not to come at the service. I wasn't exactly surprised at first but then I found out that she… um don't say that to anyone I'm not exactly proud of it, not that it's my fault or that you would actually tell anyone for all that I know… »_

Walter felt she wasn't confortable so he forgot about buttoning up his shirt and pushed the curtain to see Paige. She was looking at her feet so Walter gently took her arm.

 _« You know you… um you can tell me anything. »_

 _« Well my mother is in prison. »_

 _« What? Why? »_

 _« Um fraud or something like this, I don't really want to know I… »_

And there Paige made the mistake to raise her head to look at Walter. She hadn't noticed he came out with his shirt open and now she found herself staring at his torso. She was used to well shaped bodies with Drew but Walter was different… He was slimmer since he didn't do much sport but damn, she could have sworn he had been at least working out a little. Paige started to feel hot and cursed her stupid pregnancy hormones for making this even more difficult than it was.

She must have turned all red or been staring for too long because Walter asked in a concerned tone _« Are you okay Paige? »_

Paige tore her gaze from Walter's abdomen to look at his face and realized it was another mistake. He was looking at her worriedly with those beautiful chestnut eyes of him and she knew she had to distance herself from him before doing anything stupid, again.

 _« Uh yeah I'm fine, I'm just going to… look for baby clothes for… you know for Ralph. »_

Then she went quickly to the opposite part of the store, with Walter following her as he finally buttoned up the shirt.

 _« Wait a second, Ralph? Is that how… »_

 _« Yup that's how I'm going to name my son. »_ said Paige as she looked for newborn clothes, still refusing herself to face Walter.

 _« Isn't that… »_

 _« Yes that's my father's name. »_

Paige felt herself cooled down so she took a look at Walter who seemed perplex.

 _« You think that's weird don't you? »_

 _« No I… I understand. »_

Walter was a terrible liar, he indeed thought that it was weird naming you son that is supposed to bring you happiness after someone who's dead, which is kind of sad. But what did he know, what makes him happy is cracking software and he was pretty sure he would make a terrible father, if he had to be a father someday which he doubted.

Paige knew he was lying, but she didn't try explaining him because she appreciated the fact that he at least saw it was important for her and pretended to get it.

 _« So you uh… dropped school right? »_

She was glad that Walter changed the subject. He was starting to be the one always coming up with small talks and she wished she could also find things to ask him but her brain tented to short circuit when she was around him recently.

 _« Yeah I figured out that since I won't be able to take the exams or even follow classes in three month I'd better not start this year at all. »_

 _« And… are you going to do something like… I don't know maybe work? »_

 _« Oh yeah actually I took a job as a waitress at Kovelsky's. People know me there so it wasn't too hard. »_

Walter winced hearing this. He really wasn't thrilled about the idea of Paige working in a fast-food while pregnant and that's exactly what he was afraid she would be. That's why he brought that up actually, he put a lot of thoughts in this and there was one thing he could do.

 _« You should come work for me. I'll be a much better boss I swear. »_

Paige dropped the small jeans she had in her hands out of surprise. She really didn't expect that.

 _« Wh-what? What do you mean work for you? »_

 _« Uh yeah you know, with my private contracts and my few missions with Homeland I have um… some paperwork to do and that's not exactly my thing so… I-I just think it would be better for you than running between not always so nice clients… »_

 _« Walter you must be kidding me. How would you even pay me? »_

« _Well I make good money on some of the missions I mean it wouldn't be a dream salary but… »_

Paige couldn't believe he wanted to do that for her. Nobody ever cared enough for her to even consider something like this, she knew it. But it was crazy.

 _« Walter I know you want to buy the garage, you need the money. »_

 _« It- it can wait. This is more important. »_

Paige could feel her eyes becoming wet but she didn't want to cry in front of him. She wanted Walter to know how much she appreciated this, but she couldn't just accept.

 _« Walter I… I'm really grateful that you thought about me but… I've always lived at the expense of other people. This is my chance to be the actress of my own life, I just… I need to do this and I don't expect you to understand but just… don't fight with me on this okay? »_

 _« Okay. Just know that if you ever change your mind you can always… »_

 _« I know. And it really means a lot to me. »_

Paige realized that they were actually really close and they just stood there, in the middle of the store, looking into each others eyes. She was so lost in one glance, because what she was seing in his eyes was so contrary with everything he told her. She was seeing desire, and affection, and maybe even…

 _« Sir, are you going to buy this shirt? »_

Walter and Paige both jumped as the salesman spoke. They were too absorbed to see him coming.

 _« Wh-what? »_

 _« You've been wearing this shirt around for the last ten minutes, so you're buying it or what? »_

Walter opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to tell but Paige didn't let him answer.

 _« Yes he's taking it. And the tie. »_

 _ **So I have to say I couldn't remember if we actually know something about why Ralph is named like this or if we know Paige's dad's name so I made that up, thinking it would fit well in this story.**_

 _ **Also, sorry on the delay for this chapter, I've been meaning to update sooner but with the french elections and my exams coming up soon, I got a little off from writing. I hope I can post more regularly again soon !**_


	36. Chapter 36

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 36

 _ **Hey guys, I'm finally exam free! I might not be able to update as often as I thought I would for now because I'm not at home a lot but I'll do my best. Also I'm actually so happy for Waige in the show that I have troubles focusing on this slow burn story because you know, frustration was my main source of inspiration ahah. Anyway I'll still continue this as I planned and see if it works :)**_

 _« Why do you like Kovelsky so much suddenly? »_ asked Toby.

It was his birthday and he asked all of his friends if they would agree to go out for lunch, and also to pick the place because 'they would be the one paying for his meal after all'. Walter just suggested Kovelsky because it was efficient : not to far from anybody's place and not too expensive.

 _« I don't…_ _ **like Kovelsky so much**_ _. You asked to pick a place and I just did. »_

 _« Yeah and I wouldn't have said anything if you didn't offer to pick food there and to go all by yourself every time we spend the night at your loft for like the past month. »_

Walter was starting to feel embarrassed and annoyed by Toby. Why couldn't he just allow him to like a fast food without asking questions?

 _« You know I like my habits, now please stop using your new psychiatrist skills on me and don't forget you're just a student, maybe you're wrong about picking up… signs or whatever sometimes. »_

 _« What you forget is that I'm the best student of Harvard, probably already better than every single one of my teachers already. »_

Walter should be used to Toby being annoying over everything by now, but maybe the reason he was so pissed by his friend was because there was actually really something to see through his actions.

 _« Look… »_

 _« Nah don't tell me anything. I want to figure it out on my own, it'll be much funnier. »_

 _« So, are we going or what? »_ asked Megan as she just entered the room. Walter was relieved that she cut them at this point because he didn't want to be unpleasant with his friend on his birthday.

A few minutes later the three of them were at Kovelsky's, joined by Sylvester and Happy and they all sat at a large table, listening Toby yarning about how Harvard could give him Ph.D already since he was three years ahead on the university program. And then the inevitable happened.

Walter instantly turned red as Paige approached their table and when Toby spotted her he raised an eyebrow and gave Walter the 'I'm gonna make allusion to this until the end of days' look.

 _« Hey Walter! You didn't tell me you were coming today! What can I get you guys? »_

Before Walter could answer, Toby took the initiative to lead the talk. Walter was prepared for this of course, and he didn't know why he was so embarrassed. After all if he didn't want his friends to see that he was coming here for Paige, he could have picked another dinner. But it was stronger than him, he was using any excuse he could to check on her. In fact he felt a little responsible for not insisting more about her working for him. She was going to give birth to her son soon now and she had to work all day, standing up the whole time, and he didn't really like it.

 _« Hey Paige! Walter didn't tell us you were working here, are you doing okay with the pregnancy and all? »_

 _« Oh, um yeah I think I'm fine… I mean Walter is giving me a lot of advices so that should do it… I'll probably stop working soon though because my doctor says that the baby's probably be here sooner than expected. »_

Walter didn't even bother looking at Toby. He knew his friend was throwing him glances and right now he wished he would have been smart enough to pick another place.

 _« Well you know I'm in medicine school so if you ever need anything, you can just call me. I'm sure Walter can give you my number. Right Walter? »_

 _« Sure. »_ he just mumbled.

« _Oh well… thanks that's… »_

 _« Hey waitress! Are you paid to do small talks or to serve the clients? Christ, you women are not good at doing anything.»_ shouted a guy at another table.

Paige started blushing and Walter raised his head immediately, looking for who said that. When he spotted the angry costumer he got up and went to his table.

 _« Maybe if you spoke to her in a nicer way she would serve you. But right now I think you should apologize. »_

The guy didn't seem impressed at all by Walter and got up to confront him. Of course he was was way taller, and bigger than Walter, and he didn't seem like the kind of man who solved his problems by talking.

 _« Who the hell do you think you are? »_

 _« It doesn't matter who I am, this is no way to talk to a woman. So now apologize or… »_

Paige was starting to panic because as much as she thought Walter was cute playing the white knight, she couldn't afford any troubles with her boss.

 _« Hey Walter that's okay, drop it. »_

« _But… »_ started to say Walter as he turned to face her.

 _« Really, that's no big deal. I mean he's right I have a job to do, so just go sit down with your friends. »_

She saw Walter didn't really want to let it go unless the guy did what he asked so she took his hand and looked right at him.

 _« Please? »_

Walter couldn't say no to her when she was giving him that gaze. In fact he wasn't sure he could ever say no to her, but especially not right now.

 _« O-okay. »_

Without looking at the guys reaction, who seemed disappointed not to have a chance to hit someone, Walter went back to his table where every single one of his friends had an eyebrow lifted. Before Toby could make any remark, Walter cut him.

 _« Don't. »_

But instead of annoying Walter, Toby turned to Paige again.

 _« Hey Paige, at what time do you take your lunch break? »_

Paige who was taking the order of the angry guy looked at her watch before answering.

 _« Um, in half an hour or so. »_

 _« Well tell your boss you're having it right now. You're having lunch with us! »_

 _« I-I'm not sure I can I mean… »_

 _« Sure you can. »_ supported Happy. _« It's the boy's birthday, your boss better do as he wishes or I think he's loosing five costumers. »_

Paige was touched by so much kindness from these geniuses, so she just nodded and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she came back without her apron and sat beside Walter, who shivered lightly when their knees brushed against each other. Then they ordered their meals and everybody started to make conversation and Paige couldn't remember being so at ease with people for a long time. Megan especially was very nice to her, explaining her when she couldn't understand some of their geniuses jokes and making her feel really welcome in this little team. Paige wished she had a sister like this, always smiling and comfortable with everybody. Or she wished she would have met them earlier and hadn't waisted her time with people not worth it in college.

Then came the time for Toby to open his gifts and Paige started to feel uncomfortable since she didn't have any present to give.

 _« I feel bad I… I had no idea it was your birthday I… should probably go I mean this is a moment with your friends… »_

 _« Are you kidding me? I'm really glad you're here Paige, and since Walter's very few friends are my friends well you're one of them. Besides you may not know it but you already gave me a gift. »_

 _« Oh really? What is it? »_

 _« You taught the most stoic guy I know how to smile and gave me new reasons to analyse him which believe me, is hell of a gift. »_

Before Paige could ask what he meant exactly, Sylvester saved Walter from feeling more humiliated.

 _« So, are you going to open these presents or what? »_

Walter, Megan and Sylvester had bought Toby a stethoscope and a Newton's cradle 'to go on his future desk' and Happy had made a personal gift which was very intriguing to everyone because she hadn't tell anyone what is was and she really wasn't the type to do personal gifts.

 _« A hat! »_ exclaimed Toby.

 _« Yeah I don't exactly know why, I just thought it would look good with your jerk face. »_

 _« That's perfect! I alway knew my style was lacking something. I love it already! »_ declared the birthday boy, already with the hat on top of his head.

Everybody was laughing and Paige thought she didn't spend a nice time like this since an eternity.

 _« Thanks Toby. »_ she said without even thinking.

 _« For what? »_

Paige was now embarrassed because everybody was staring at her, waiting for her answer.

 _« For um… bringing me to this table with you guys. It feels good to… you know share a moment with nice people, I just… It's been a while… »_

 _« You're very welcome dear. »_ answered Toby with a big friendly smile.

Paige already felt happy at this exact moment, but when she felt Walter taking her hand under the table, she thought her heart was going to burst. She really hoped that there would be more times like this.


	37. Chapter 37

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 37

Since they shared meal at Kovelsky's, Paige spent a lot of time with Walter's group of friends. She would often come at his loft after work for their late nights together, and she learnt to know and appreciate everyone of them, or not to be offended when Happy referred to her as 'the waitress'. In fact she thought that if they had troubles making other friends, it was because other people are stupid because once you learn to see beyond the many phobias of Sylvester, the weird jokes of Toby or the bare facts that Walter and Happy kept throwing, you can really discover awesome human beings. Once or twice Paige assisted to them resolving a case Walter had together and she was amazed at how well they worked in team and how brillant they all were.

Paige thought she was really doing great, and in fact the only thing that made her uneasy in life was when Drew was coming back to LA on the week end and she had to shut down from the geniuses world for a few days. In any other circumstances, she would have stopped things with her boyfriend, because things clearly couldn't work if she couldn't be enthusiastic about seeing him, but she wanted to do things right for her son. She didn't want him to grow up in an unstable environment like she had. He needed a mother and a father, a real paternal figure, and she could see Drew was really trying.

As for Walter, he was really happy to have Paige around more. Sure he had to go through a big interrogation with Toby, who explained him that it was okay acknowledging his feeling but that maybe he shouldn't play with fire since she had a boyfriend and was expecting a baby, and Walter had to repeat a hundred time that he didn't understand why Toby was saying that and that he was just glad Paige was his friend. Of course he never told him for the kiss, he never told anyone besides Linda. He probably could have talk about it with his sister, but he didn't. Maybe because deep down he knew what she was going to tell him, and that he wasn't ready for this.

Cabe was also spending more time at Walter's loft, hanging out with the rest of them even when they didn't have a case. Since Walter had to go on the field with him, their relationship was much better and he could say he actually enjoyed spending time with the man.

Some afternoon, as Walter was on the roof with Cabe, fixing his telescope as the Homeland agent was telling him old war stories, his phone rang.

 _« Hey Cabe, can you pick that up for me? I'm kind of busy here. »_

Cabe nodded and took Walter's phone before introducing himself.

 _« Cabe Gallo, Homeland security, what can I do for you? … Yes he is with me.»_

Walter stopped what he was doing to observe Cabe attentively. The man was nodding with a very serious look before turning to Walter and handing him the phone.

 _« Kid I think you should take this one. »_

Walter took the phone, kind of worried because of the expression on Cabe's face.

 _« Hullo? »_

 _« Walter O'Brien? »_

 _« Him speaking. »_

 _« Mr O'Brien this is the LA Community Hospital… »_

Before the man could finish his sentence, Walter panicked, afraid that something happened to his sister.

« _Is Megan okay?! »_

 _« Megan? No, no… we're here with your girlfriend Paige Dineen. She asked us to reach you, you're going to be father mister O'Brien! So if… well if you can come right now I think it could really help miss Dineen. I think she really wants you here. »_

Walter's jaw dropped as a million thoughts rushed through his mind. Then he realized he was probably being silent for too long because the guy on the other side of the phone called him repeatedly.

 _« Mister O'Brien? Are you still with me? »_

 _« Uh… yeah sorry, I… I'm coming as fast as I can! »_

After hanging up the phone, Walter knew he had to rush to the hospital as fast as he could, but he was paralyzed somehow. Did Paige really told the hospital that he was the father? Or did they just got confused about her wanting him here? And what about Drew? Was he aware that his girlfriend was currently giving birth?

 _« Son? Do you want me to take you to the hospital? I'll probably less bothered if I drive a little too fast. »_ Cabe offered.

Walter nodded and next thing he knew, he was in Cabe's SUV, going almost as far as that time Happy thought they would be late for an important job a few weeks ago. Before he could think about what he should do or say, he was at the reception of the hospital.

 _« Can I help you sir? »_

 _« Uh yeah… I'm Walter O'Brien. My… fr- girlfriend Paige Dineen is expecting a baby. »_

The woman looked briefly on her computer's screen before giving Walter a big smile.

 _« The maternity is on the second floor, and miss Dineen is in room 207. She hasn't been taken to labour yet so you can find her here. »_

 _« Thanks. »_

Walter didn't bother calling an elevator, stairs were more efficient, and less than a minute later, he was entering Paige's room. She didn't see him at first, because she was walking in circles in the room with a nurse, so Walter coughed lightly to make his presence noticed.

 _« Walter! Thank god you're here. »_

 _« Since your boyfriend is here, I'll leave you two for a moment. The doctor will come check on you soon. »_ said the nurse.

Paige nodded and when the nurse left the room, she sat in the armchair besides the hospital bed. Walter went to her side and Paige grabbed his hand firmly.

 _« I'm sorry I told everyone you were my boyfriend. It's just… Drew is on a competition and I can't… do this alone and… I just thought it was easier if I didn't have to explain. But I'm really glad you came Walter. »_

 _« As long as you don't write my name as the father when they declare your child. »_

Damn, that sounded a lot more harsh than in his head. Paige looked hurt by these words and Walter regretted instantly pronouncing them.

 _« I'm sorry it probably came out wrong. What I mean is… Never mind… The important thing is that you, and the baby are okay and I… I'll stay as long as you want me here. »_

 _« I just can't believe I'm gonna be a mother. I'm afraid Walter… what if I'm not ready? »_

Of course Walter made progress with emotions, but this kind of situation when he had to comfort someone was still weird for him. He never knew what to say, or how to behave.

 _« Well I-I'm sure you're going to be a great mom. You're already a great person so… »_

Judging from Paige's reaction, who was bitting her lip to prevent her smile from growing wider on her face, Walter thought that he probably said the right thing.

About half an hour later, Paige started to have really hurtful contractions and the doctor came to see her. Walter wanted to leave the room when the doctor had to check if she was dilated enough but she insisted that she wanted him here, and that he didn't have to look where he didn't want to, and Walter thought that it was best not upsetting her at this point.

Then the doctor decided it was time for Paige to start the delivery and again, Walter stayed with her the whole time. To be honest he had to go through the most horrible hours of his life. It wasn't about the action of giving birth itself, really Walter understood everything about anatomy and embryology so he could always say what was going on, but hearing Paige in pain and not being able to do anything about it was a tough thing for him. Even more when she was clamping to his hand so hard that his blood wasn't even able to reach the tips of his fingers.

But in the end, it was worth it. The image of a peaceful Paige, holding her little boy for the first time in her arms would be something that Walter would always remember as the most beautiful thing he ever saw. More beautiful than any constellation he could ever observe.

Paige saw Walter was staring at her and her son with over protective eyes and she couldn't help but smile. Of course her life was a mess, but at this exact moment, everything felt perfect.

 _« Do you want to hold him? »_

Walter wasn't confortable with this idea, all this was starting to overwhelm him a little. It felt too much to him like he was the father of this children, or at least like he had a duty to protect him, when he wasn't even blood related.

 _« I… I'm not sure I know how to do this… »_

 _« Come on. I'll show you. »_

Of course, same thing over again. Walter couldn't deny anything to Paige. So he got closer to her bed and she handed him carefully the baby, showing him where to put his hands. When he was finally installed in Walter's arms, Ralph wide opened his eyes and looked at Walter with a curious face. Walter felt weak, feeling all these things with only one gaze of a baby, him who never experienced any intense emotion, but he also made an inner promise to never let down this little boy and his mother.

 _ **AN**_ _:_ _ **I'd like to thank a guest who reviewed the whole story two days ago, you made some interesting points on which I'll try to work. Also, you mentioned a few grammatical errors and I'm aware that my english is not perfect, I don't have english classes in my course of study so I mainly progress thanks to series and movies I watch. Anyway, I would have DM you but since your a guest I'd like to ask you here if you would want to proof read me and help me correct the mistakes I can make, it's always good to take remarks! Or if anyone else is interested in proof reading my chapters before I publish them well you can DM me, this way I'll offer the readers a story without typos, and I'll be able to progress! That's just an idea though and I won't take it personally if I don't get answers, I can understand that people don't have time for this :)**_


	38. Chapter 38

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 38

When Paige was allowed to leave the maternity, Walter and Megan immediately offered her to stay at their apartment for a while so they could help her. Drew didn't even come back from Portland to see his son and the two O'Brien couldn't let their friend handle this on her own. This time Paige didn't have to think twice before accepting the offer. She could really use a little help to adapt to her new mother life, and she was sure that Megan and Walter were the perfect boost for her.

The three of them got along well and when Paige mentioned moving back to Drew's because she didn't want to be troubles for too long, it was Megan, to her surprise, who insisted the most that it was more than okay for her to stay as long as she wanted and that she was in fact glad to have another 'normal' around to talk to. Eventually, it started to feel like Paige really belonged here and that she wasn't only completely relying on the O'Brien, but that they could rely on her for some things too.

One day, as the three of them as well as Happy, Sylvester and Toby were gathered in the loft, playing the post-it game, just like the first time Paige met them, as Ralph was peacefully asleep, Cabe burst into the apartment.

 _« Kids I've got a case for you, I hope you didn't plan anything today and if you did, well forget it because this is more important. »_

Walter immediately got up and put on his serious face.

 _« What is it? »_

« _A guy took several hostages at the Oregon Museum and shut himself in. They tried rebooting the security devices but it seem's like the man is pretty skilled. »_

Walter paused for a few seconds, his eyes lost into thoughts.

 _« Okay I'm gonna need Toby with me to talk to the guy while I work on getting the hostages out safely with Sly. Happy can you stay here on my computer to help if needed? »_

 _« Sure thing. »_ answered the mechanic.

The two other boys agreed too and quickly gathered their stuff, ready to go. Then Walter turned to his sister and Paige.

 _« Well I guess I'll see you when I'm done with this. »_

 _« Be safe little brother. »_

Walter nodded but before he could go out, Paige caught him by the arm.

 _« Hey, I know that you have to hurry but can I just talk to you for a second? »_

Walter looked at Cabe who made a sign of head to say that it was okay.

 _« Okay, but be quick. »_

Paige took him a little aside from the others and Walter looked at her curiously.

 _« The… um the Oregon Museum is in Portland. »_

 _« Can't argue with a fact. »_ stated Walter.

 _« Do you think that… when you're done with your mission you could… come by see Drew and give him this? »_

Paige handed him a picture of her with Ralph in her arms, that Megan took a few days after she got out of the hospital, but Walter didn't take it.

 _« I don't understand. Why can't you just text him the photo? »_

Paige seemed embarrassed but she knew that Walter really had to go so she explained.

 _« It's just that… Drew doesn't talk to me a lot these days and… I don't know I think maybe he is scared and having this could help him realize how lucky we are to have Ralph in our lives… But I'd really like you to give him in person so you can… see his reaction you know, maybe talk to him a little… »_

Walter had so many things to say about how Drew was a perfect idiot and she shouldn't even bother considering him as Ralph's father, but he didn't have the time right now so he just took the picture and put it in his pocket before storming out of his loft with the other boys.

—

Three hours later, while Walter, Toby, Sylvester and Cabe were in Portland, Paige found herself on Walter's couch, along with Megan and Happy who was glued to a computer to follow the mission, and with Ralph on her knees. He was a very quiet child and she hoped that he would grow up keeping this ability to stay calm in every situation.

 _« So… are Toby and you going to be a thing? »_ she asked to Happy.

She noticed the two of them were getting closer and closer and thought that the two of them would make a very nice couple. They were so different, Toby being extrovert and Happy being secretive about anything regarding her on a personal level that it could actually work out and be a good thing for both of them.

 _« Well I could ask you the same thing for you and O'Brien. »_ Happy answered without even looking away from the computer.

 _« What? Why are you saying that? »_

Happy sighed and stopped what she was doing to slowly turn to Paige.

 _« Come on, I know the guy, I'm married to him remember? So I can tell he likes you. Really likes you. And I think you like him too. The question is will you do something about it? »_

Paige turned all red, regretting asking the question in the first place. Happy really must have spent too much time with Toby if she was starting analyzing behaviors like this. Paige gave a helpless look to Megan who just shrugged.

 _« I can't help you on that one Paige, I think she's right. »_

 _« Wh- Did Walter ever mention something about this to you? »_

 _« He might have, in a Walter way you know. Meaning very unclear. »_

Paige felt her heart beating faster. She was still thinking a lot about that kiss she shared with Walter and even though things were great between them it was sometimes hard being around him so much. So now that her friends were telling her that, she wasn't sure she could keep on acting like nothing ever happened. But as much as Paige liked the two girls, she was too used to keeping things to herself to confess them anything more. Besides, she wasn't even sure they were right about Walter. After all he had been the one backing off and he too was very good at pretending nothing happened.

 _« I'm with Drew anyway so there is no reason to ask about me and Walter? »_

 _« You mean that scumbag who can't take a break from hitting a ball to see his own son? »_ said Happy in a very harsh tone.

« _Hey don't talk about him like that! He's doing this so we can provide Ralph the best possible environment. And it's not me, without any degree or proper job who's gonna give him that. »_

 _« So you think being without a dad around his the best environment? I'm sorry Paige but my parents abandoned me, and I don't wish that to anyone. And it looks a lot to me like Drew is just abandoning this kid. I'm just saying… you're lucky to have Walter around. »_

Paige knew that already, but she didn't think that she really had many options offering to her. She was handling things the best she could and she didn't like people making her feel like she wasn't doing the right thing for her son.

—

Meanwhile in Portland, the boys resolved quiet quickly the problem, succeeding into getting out all the hostages safely and leaving the rest to the police.

Cabe told them that it was too late to take a plane back to LA and that they should rather stay in an hotel here for the night, and everybody agreed. In fact it kind of was perfect for Walter, this way he could go to the place Paige texted her as Drew's without having to explain to anyone. But it was without counting on Toby who caught him sneaking out of the room they were sharing.

 _« Where do you think you're going 197? »_

 _« I uh… I'm just taking a walk. Clearing my head after this um… long day you know. »_

 _« Then you don't mind me coming with you. »_ said Toby as he put on his sneakers.

Walter lifted his eyes, how could he think for a second that his friend would leave him alone?

 _« Actually I do mind. I want some… time alone you know to… »_

 _« Cut the crap Walter. I know you're going to Drew's. »_

 _« Wh- How…? »_

 _« Doesn't matter how I know. I just want to come with you to make sure you don't get your ass kicked. »_

Walter thought about arguing but then concluded that his friend wouldn't ever let go.

 _« Ok, fine. But you don't talk unless it's an absolute emergency. »_

Toby made a sign to show his lips were sealed and the two friends went out in the night. A few minutes later, they were knocking on the door of Drew's apartment. But to their surprise, it wasn't Drew who opened.

 _« Can I help you? »_

The person asking was a beautiful young woman, wearing nothing but a man's shirt. Walter had no idea who she was, and what she was doing here, leaving him agape, and Toby considered it was enough to consider this an absolute emergency and do the talking.

 _« Hi, I'm Jake, and this is… um my friend Paul. We're looking for Drew, is he here? »_

 _« Are you aware that it's two in the morning? »_ questioned the girl.

 _« Yes, and we're sorry, but this is an emergency. »_ said Toby in a very gentle voice.

 _« Just wait here for a sec. »_

The woman went back inside, leaving Walter and Toby at the entrance.

 _« Why did you give fake names? »_

 _« Because Walter, if this is what it looks like, Drew would never come to the door knowing that this is us. »_

 _« Wh-why? »_

 _« Seriously? You don't understand… »_

Before Toby could finish his sentence, the girl was back with Drew, wearing a white shirt and his underpants.

 _« O'Brien? What the fuck are you doing here? And who the hell are you? »_

 _« Hi, I'm Tobias Curtis, we didn't have the pleasure yet. See we were around for some professional business and Paige asked us to go check on you, see if everything was okay. Clearly it is… »_

 _« Babe, what is he talking about? Who's Paige? »_ asked the girl to Drew who's face was progressively falling appart.

« _Oh you didn't tell her? Well sweetie, Paige is the mother of the child of the guy you're jumping. »_

 _« Hey why don't you go mind your own business?! »_ shouted Drew.

 _« What you're doing to hurt Paige and her son is very much of my business because unlike you I'm doing everything I can for their well being. »_ said Walter in a very calm voice.

 _« Please don't tell her. I… I just panicked because… you know I'm young and I'm not sure I'm ready for all this but… please Walter, I know we're not exactly friends but just… don't tell Paige.»_ begged Drew, going from angry to distraught.

« _Oh so this is true? Why didn't you tell me? »_

The girl was now with tears in her eyes, looking back and forth between Drew and the two geniuses.

 _« Because I don't fucking care about you and I just wanted someone to have sex with, I mean come on! What did you think? »_

The girl slapped him and went back to the bedroom to gather her clothes before getting out of the apartment, throwing a hateful 'asshole' to Drew who was now rubbing his temples. Walter waited that she was gone silently before declaring :

 _« Remember when you told me that if I even just talked or looked at Paige your only purpose in life would be to make mine a living hell? Well that's what I'm telling you right now. And believe me I have means worse than violence to make you regret your miserable existence. »_

Without leaving the chance to Drew to answer, Walter turned his back on him and started walking.

 _« Come on Toby, let's get out of here. »_

After a silent walk, the two friends were back at the hotel and Walter sat down, taking his head in his hands.

 _« We're going to have to tell her you know. And she'll be hurt, you'll have to be very careful Walter. When you play with fire you sometimes get burnt. »_

 _« I know. Right now I'm just tired so can we not talk about it? »_

 _« Sure thing, try to get some sleep pal. »_ said Toby before going to his bed and turn off his light.

Walter knew he should do as his friend told him, but he just stayed up a little longer, looking at the picture of Paige and Ralph she gave him. Drew wasn't worth having it, he was never worth of Paige anyway. So Walter just put the photo in his wallet, thinking again about this promise he made of always having the back of these two.


	39. Chapter 39

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 39

 _ **Hey guys, sorry for the delay between chapters, as I said I moved around a lot since I'm in holidays, but now I'm back home and I should be able to update more regularly!**_

The following morning, the guys were back in LA and they all gathered at Walter's loft for lunch, which was becoming kind of an habit.

And of course Toby couldn't help but notice that Walter spent the whole time avoiding looking at Paige and being very careful to sit at the exact spot that was geometrically the farthest from her. So when Walter rushed into his kitchen pretending to have the urgent need of another spoon after Paige asked him if he had done what she asked him, he thought that it was a good time to have a little talk with his friend.

 _« Walter are you okay? »_

Walter jumped at the sound of Toby's question. He really seemed stressed and even more full of thoughts than usual.

 _« Yeah I… I'm fine. »_ he answered in a voice that sounded the opposite from fine.

 _« Is it about what you and I both know you have to tell Paige ? »_

Walter ran nervously his hand through his hair. Toby knew that he was chickening out, and he had to make sure his friend was doing the right thing.

 _« You'll tell her right pal? Or do you want me to do it? Do you want us to do it together maybe? »_

 _« I mean… Do we really have to tell her? It's gonna hurt her, and the baby will probably grow up without a father… Or what if she doesn't believe me Toby? What if she thinks I'm doing this because I want to get her away from Drew? It's no secret I can't stand the guy, even before this… I just… »_

 _« Hey you stop right now. First, I was with you the whole time so we're two witnesses. Second, geniuses only state facts, Paige knows that right? And last but not least, Walter you know this is the right thing to do. She deserves to know, and she can't let this asshole ruin her life anymore. Besides if she ever finds out that you knew this and kept it from her, well I'm pretty positive she's gonna be very pissed at you. »_

Walter was silent and someone who didn't know him well could have thought that he didn't even listened to what his friend just told him. But Toby knew that he was slowly processing all these informations, running possible outcomes before deciding what was his best option.

 _« You're right, I have to tell her. »_

 _« Great. I'm glad we agree. Do you want me to do it with you? »_

 _« No I… I think I should do this alone. I think I should do it right now. Could you get everybody out of the apartment? »_

 _« The sooner the better! And Walter, for god's sake don't change your mind in the middle of the talk. »_

Walter nodded and the two geniuses went back with the others.

 _« Hey guys I heard there were new rollercoasters in town, who's up for a little ride? »_

 _« Toby you know I hate rollercoa… »_ started Sylvester before Happy punched him in the ribs.

 _« Ouch! What was that for? »_

 _« I'm pretty sure you'll find something you're not afraid of to do, besides I'm sure Megan is coming with us, right Megan? »_

The two girls had picked up Toby's intention in the first place and just had to make sure Walter and Paige would stay at the loft.

 _« I wouldn't miss this for the world. »_

Paige looked a little sad at the idea of all of her friends going out and having fun, but she was a mother now and it implied new responsibilities and less fun.

 _« I would have loved to come with you but someone has to watch Ralph you know. »_

 _« I'll stay with you. »_ said Walter hastily. _« I'm sure you can use some company and I'm not a big fan of rollercoasters anyway. »_

 _« Then I guess we'll see you tonight! »_ declared Toby before pushing everyone else out of the apartment and giving Walter thumbs up and disappearing too.

Then Walter turned weirdly to Paige who smiled to him.

 _« Thanks for staying with me. I admit I would have felt a little depressed here all on my own knowing you were all having fun. »_

 _« It's okay really I don't hum… I mean I'd rather stay here. »_

Walter was still avoiding looking Paige in the eyes and she felt something was wrong with him.

 _« Walter are you okay? »_ she asked in the exact same tone Toby did a few minutes before.

 _« Yes… No… I just… There is something I need to tell you. »_

Now Paige had a worried look because no conversation beginning with those words had ever turned good for her.

 _« I… I'm all ears. »_

 _« Well you know you asked me to… go check on Drew… give him the um… the photo and all… »_

 _« Yeah I know that. I even asked you about it earlier and you just weirdly avoided the subject. »_ Then Paige paused, her eyes widening. _« Oh. Did something bad happen to Drew? Is he okay? »_

 _« Oh trust me he is more than okay. »_ assured Walter in a nervous laugh.

 _« So what is it then? »_

 _« I… I don't really know how to say this… There is probably no good way to do it so I'm just gonna um… state facts. »_

Paige was starting to loose patience and the tiny knot in her stomach that she started feeling when Walter started talking was growing bigger with every second.

 _« Please Walter just tell me what you have to say. »_

 _« Okay. So I… I went to the address you gave me with Toby and… Drew was there but… he wasn't alone… »_

Paige knew right away what Walter was implying, but she didn't want to believe it.

 _« So what? He had a friend coming over or something? »_

 _« Paige, I think Drew is cheating on you. In fact I'm a hundred per cent sure of it. And I know you may not believe this but I truly am sorry. »_

Paige was starting to feel tears in her eyes, but it wasn't because Drew had slept with another girl, or maybe many others. She had stopped loving him a while ago. But she was crying because she got fooled and didn't see it coming. Because she had dropped everything for him, and he didn't even care for her. She was crying because she knew how hard it was to grow up with one of your parents not being there for you, but now Ralph would have to do without his father. There was no way she would let Drew continue to make her life worse. She would have to do this on her own. She knew she could do it, she was a fighter, always had been.

Like he was reading her mind, Walter got close to her and tried to wipe out some tears out of her cheeks.

 _« You know you're not alone in this. You have Megan and… you have me. »_

But as much as Paige wanted to let herself melt into Walter's arms, she was starting to feel a little sick about her being vulnerable and depending on him to get herself together. She was a strong girl, a woman even, now. And she had to take care or herself, she couldn't rely on others for her whole life.

 _« Walter would you mind watching Ralph for a few hours? »_

 _« Wh-where are you going? »_

 _« I need some time to think and I can't kick you out of your own apartment so I'll just… take a walk. I don't know for how long. And there is now a very few people I really trust on this earth but you're one of them. Is it okay with you? I can take him with me you just have to tell… »_

 _« No, no… I understand. I'll stay with Ralph. »_

Walter was glad that she didn't even considered him being a liar. A little surprised that she didn't ask for more details though. But he understood her reaction. He would have probably wanted to be alone too after learning something like this. He watched Paige take her jacket and even if he wanted to, he didn't hold her back.

Before closing the door, Paige paused and looked at Walter.

 _« Thanks for telling me Walter. Always remember that if the truth can hurt, at least it's the truth. »_

Walter wasn't sure he understood the meaning of that last sentence. He would probably be thinking of it for the next hours to come, without being ever able to figure it out.

 _ **I was kind of sick of Toby giving poor advices on the show so in this chapter I went for him actually being the voice of reason in a good way for Walter.**_

 _ **As always, reviews are appreciated and I can never thank you enough for paying attention to my work :)**_


	40. Chapter 40

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 40

 _ **Just a short and sweet chapter to get me back on track with some regular writing. Enjoy! :)**_

Walter was leaning on Ralph's cradle, afraid that something might happen and he wouldn't know how to fix it. He sure knew how to react in almost all the urgent situations, but baby's were not his area of expertise at all. Luckily for him, Ralph seemed perfectly fine and was just staring at him, his eyes wide open. Walter had noticed that Ralph was pretty calm for a child this little, and if the company of babys usually made him nervous, he didn't mind spending time with the boy. Maybe he was getting ideas, but he thought that Ralph had already some form of intelligence in his eyes. Like he was getting things a three month old baby shouldn't be able to get.

 _« So, this is just you and I buddy, right? »_

He didn't know why he just asked a question to someone who clearly hadn't the ability to answer him. Just like his mother, the child was making him forget all sense of logic. He knew that it was good to talk a lot to a baby, because that's how he is supposed to learn to talk, but he must have sound very stupid. And yet that didn't stop him from keeping on talking.

 _« Oh don't worry your mother will be back. She just has a lot to deal with right now. I wish I could help her better, but I'm so bad with everything concerning… feelings or emotions. I hope you won't grow up like me, you know it's hard sometimes to always have to catch up on what people imply and all… »_

Ralph seemed absorbed by what Walter was telling and it was strange how he felt the need to say some things he had on his hard to the little boy. It was so easy talking to someone who couldn't understand how difficult the world was yet.

 _« Of course it must be hard for people to catch up with me too when I'm in the middle of scientific stuff. But I bet they don't wish they could understand. They just think 'look at this nerd' and leave me alone. And I'm okay with that, I don't want to be like them either. Or at least I didn't. But you know your mother changed everything. It's… it's silly really that one person makes you wanna change who you are. Be better. I thought that no matter what you never had to change for anybody, but I've thought a lot about it and now I think there are people worth changing, or at least making a little effort, for. »_

Walter interpreted Ralph's look as an interrogative one and an invitation to pursue his little talk, so he went on. Maybe he was more thinking out loud than actually talking to someone, but it felt good to hear himself saying all these things that he had troubles putting words on before.

 _« You know I like your mother a lot. All this is very new to me because I never felt something like this for someone else, but I begin to understand that I can't deny that these feelings are here, and they won't go away. Of course there is your father… Was… I don't know actually. If it was just up to me you'll never see this moron. But I… I don't have any say in it. Still, you'll have to know that if you ever need anything you can come to me. I mean right now you're too young to need any help from me besides changing your diapers and I'm not even sure I could do this properly, but later you know. »_

At this moment Walter realized that he couldn't consider a future without Paige and her son in it. He never really thought about it, it just seemed natural that they would be a part of his life. But Paige told him several times that her living with him and his sister was just for a short time, until she gets used to her situation and is able to be more independent. What if she moved out away from him? Like she finds a job more or less far from LA? He probably wouldn't have any weight in her decision, they were just friends. She would do what was best for her son and herself, and how close to him wouldn't be on the top of her priorities. Walter started to panic at the idea of this. He realized that he really didn't want her to be far from him, and how bad he needed her. She wasn't doing anything special, but her simple presence made him happier, and he didn't want to be back to his old self, oblivious to all kinds of emotions and unable to explain some simple things of the world that surrounded him.

Then it was like Ralph felt his distress because he started to cry. He didn't cry a lot but when he did, it was hard calming him. So Walter's thoughts about Paige were immediately but in a corner of his mind to focus entirely on the kid in front of him.

 _« Oh no… no please don't cry. I don't… »_

Of course Ralph wouldn't just stop crying because Walter asked him to. Hesitant at first, Walter finally decided to take the boy in his arms.

 _« Come here, it's… it's okay. It's okay. »_

He positioned his arms just like Paige showed him and made little movements up and down, like he saw her do. With the baby in his arms, he went to his desk, trying to find something to distract him. Then he spotted his rocket model and took it with one hand, careful to hold Ralph tightly with the other.

 _« Look at this, this one is called Ariane. Ariane 5 more precisely. It's french. »_

Ralph immediately stopped crying at the sight of the mini rocket. In fact he looked at it with a lot of interest.

 _« You like it? That's great. I am very fond of all things regarding space since I was a little boy. When you're older I'll show you how to use a telescope, how does that sound? »_

Ralph's tiny hand stretch out to reach the model and Walter felt a lot more peaceful than a few seconds before. He sat on the couch with Ralph on his lap and just stayed there, for god knows how long, blathering about space stuff that even a grow up wouldn't understand.

An hour later, Paige came back at the loft to find Ralph and Walter asleep, her son resting on the genius's chest. It wasn't an habit of Walter to take naps, especially in the middle of the afternoon, but he did seemed deeply asleep. And Paige couldn't help but take a picture of this beautiful moment. She didn't know what the future held, but she surely couldn't imagine it without Walter.


	41. Chapter 41

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 41

When Walter woke up, it took him a few seconds to remember what was the current situation. He was on his couch, holding a sleepy Ralph tightly against his chest. He straightened slowly, careful not to wake up the baby, only to realize that Paige was sitting on his armchair, looking at them with a big smile.

 _« How long have you been here? »_ asked Walter.

Paige didn't answer immediately. First she stood up and took Ralph in her arms so Walter would be more free of his movements. He stretched up a little before shooting Paige an interrogative look, waiting for an answer.

 _« I-I don't know, just a few minutes. I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. »_

 _« Why so? »_

Paige blushed a little, not prepared for Walter to ask this question.

 _« You just… I thought you were too cute to be woken up. »_

What she didn't tell him was that she took the liberty of taking a picture of the two of them and she had every intention to stare at it every time she felt a little down.

 _« I really appreciate you taking care of Ralph Walter, I think he likes you. »_

Now was Walter's turn to blush. He was never good with kids, and Ralph was the first one he spent so much time with so he was glad that his mother noticed too that he was doing great with this baby.

 _« Did you… have enough time to think? »_

Paige's smile faded away at the thought of all of her problems. For a few minutes she had forgotten all of it, thinking that Ralph, Walter and her could just be a normal family. But Walter wasn't Ralph's father. He wasn't even her boyfriend. And as much as she loved how supportive he was, she wanted to be able to take care of her family herself.

 _« Yes I… I think I'm going to move back to my parents house. Get back to work too, they told me that I could resume whenever I feel ready to at Kovelsky's so… »_

 _« Oh… »_

Of course Walter was disappointed. He got used to having Paige around, and he liked that a lot. He knew that it wasn't meant to be forever, but he didn't expected her to leave so soon. Paige saw that he seemed sad and remembered his fear of being let down.

 _« Hey Walter, me moving out doesn't mean I won't see you again you know? I… We'll still come here a lot, if you'll have us. »_

 _« Of course I will, you know you're always welcome. But Paige, if you start working again what are you going to do with Ralph? »_

After the scene she just witnessed, Paige knew exactly who she wanted to look after Ralph when she was at work. But of course Walter had a job too and she didn't want to ask him too much, she already enjoyed a lot his kindness.

 _« I… I'll start looking for a sitter tomorrow and maybe… maybe sometimes, when you or Megan are free, he can stay with you guys? I mean not all the time, because you're obviously very busy but… I don't know you've already done so much for me I would understand if you need a break from all this… baby stuff I just… »_

 _« Paige stop. »_ interrupted Walter. _« You know I'd be more than happy to watch Ralph again. »_

An awkward silence was now installed between the two of them and Walter finally asked a question that was burning his tongue.

 _« So… When are you planning to… do all this? »_

 _« Well I'm going to check the house tomorrow then as soon as someone can drive me between Drew's, here and there I'll move my stuff and I guess that's it. »_

 _« That's… soon. »_

 _« I believe that's what you call efficiency. »_ retorted Paige.

Walter only half smiled at Paige's remark, and preferred moving on to another subject.

 _« And did you… did you talk to Drew? »_

Paige almost stroked at Walter's question. Of course it was only fair that he asked given that he was the one who told her about his infidelity, but she didn't expect him to bring it up right now and she didn't really want to talk about it so she tried to keep it brief.

 _« I did. »_

 _« And what did he say? »_

 _« Mostly mean stuff about you and that you were a jealous liar that only wanted to… take me from you. »_ quickly answered Paige as she was readjusting Ralph in her arms.

 _« You know that not right, don't you? »_ asked Walter worriedly.

 _« Of course I do, why would I do all… all this if I didn't believe you? I know you wouldn't lie about this. You don't even know how to lie about anything. »_

There was another awkward silence but Walter didn't know what to say this time.

 _« Walter do you think that this is getting somewhere? »_

Paige regretted immediately her question. It wasn't the right time to talk about this and she didn't even make herself clear so it was pretty obvious that Walter wouldn't get what she was talking about and ask her to explain and then she would be embarrassed and again an awkward silence would follow.

 _« I-I think this is getting somewhere if… if you want it to. You know my sister always tells me that things always come to those who know how to be patient. I never really understood because I like to obtain results quickly but now I… I understand that maybe she isn't talking about the solution of an equation. »_

Apparently she got it all wrong. Not only Walter understood what she meant but he was also being implicite. Paige clearly underestimate the progress Walter made since they first met in terms of emotions. As an answer Paige smiled to Walter and the silence wasn't uncomfortable anymore.

 _« You want to eat something maybe? Megan is at Sly's tonight so it leaves me without her precious cook skills but I think I can manage to pull out something from what's in my fridge. »_

 _« Yeah, dinner sounds great. »_

 _ **This chapter is a little short, I'm sorry. Truth to be told I'm a little depressed right now because I just had the results of my exams and I'm currently on the waiting list with like 30 people in front of me (we're more than 1300 in total). Seems highly unlikable that so many people leave me their place. That's the hard thing about the first year of medicine in France, it's a contest and you may do well, if people do better than you, you just have to retake the year. Well it seems like I'm gonna have to go through a second year of hell. I really like writing this story but right now I feel more like staying in my bed forever. Still I'll do my best to keep more regular updates and also to write longer chapter.**_


	42. Chapter 42

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 42

Paige stayed a few days at the O'Brien before moving back to her home. It was weird for her to be back into this big house on her own. She didn't come back since her father passed away and it took her a moment to get used to his absence. Ralph had now his own room and he seemed to like the place, although Paige noticed that he cried a little bit more at night now that they were on their own.

Even though it was tough to do everything without the help of Megan or Walter, Paige knew that she made the right decision. She might still be young but she is more than capable to deal with her responsibilities and there wasn't any case where she would run away from it. What she didn't know was that staying at this house would have to be very temporary.

Paige thought that the world was striving against her so that she couldn't have one second of rest. She indeed found, in the middle of the pile of unread letters that accumulated into the mail box, an official notification saying that the house didn't belong to her anymore and that justice was seizing it because of her mothers debts. Of course she knew that she couldn't have lived there for too long because she probably wouldn't be able to pay the taxes, but she didn't expect to have to find another solution this soon.

Paige reckoned her options. She didn't want to go back to Walter for help after only a few days away. She knew that he would welcome her, but she started this process of getting her independence back, she might as well finish it.

She could probably find a little apartment in town but with the money she had to spend to provide Ralph with everything he needs and the fact that she didn't start working again, and that if she did she would have to pay a sitter most of the time, she wasn't sure she had the money to rent one.

Paige was kind of panicking, afraid that if she told the people who were going to take the house that she had no other shelter they would call social services and take Ralph away from her, when she remembered this women shelter she knew. It was a very hard decision for her, and she really thought everything through, but maybe this could be a solution, just the time until she's able to get her head out of the water.

God, she couldn't help thinking about how Walter would disapprove this, and be angry that she didn't reach him instead, but there are some things you can't explain, just like why she was having such a blockage about asking his help again.

She still had a little time before she eventually gets evicted from her house so she decided to go look up this shelter she was thinking about with Ralph some night, get some informations and all. Of course deep down she knew that she wanted to convince herself that this was a bad idea.

The following evening here she was, hesitating before pushing the door of the shelter, holding Ralph in a baby carrier that Happy made her.

And what was her surprise when she saw the person who was welcoming her.

 _« Hello ma'am, how can I he… Paige?»_

It was Toby, wearing his now inseparable from him hat and a shocked look on his face.

 _« What are you doing here? »_ asked Paige.

 _« What are_ _ **you**_ _doing here? »_

 _« I… »_ began to answer Paige before thinking that it was probably best if she got back on her steps and pretended this never happened. « _Never mind, just pretend you never saw me here. »_

 _« Wait Paige! You and I both know I can't do this. Are you in trouble? You can tell my anything I promise I won't tell Walter if that's what you're afraid of. »_

 _« You and I both know you can't do this. »_ retorted Paige. During the time she spent with the geniuses, she learnt that when Toby knew something that the others didn't, he couldn't help but making thousands of weird allusions to them before exploding and saying it all in one breath.

 _« Hey, I know that I'm not the best at keeping secrets, but please trust me. When it's really important I know how to keep my mouth shut. »_

 _« I don't know… Couldn't you just… »_

 _« I'm a volunteer here_. » cut Toby. « _I have been for a while, helping the organization establishing psychological profiles of the women who come here so we can know if more help is needed, for example when the husband is violent and all. I answered your question now would you answer mine? »_

Paige suddenly noticed that they weren't alone, and that people were actually staring at them. She felt very uncomfortable, thinking that everyone was judging her and whispering what a bad mother she was. She tightened her grip around Ralph and threw look around her.

 _« Can we… can we go somewhere else maybe? »_

 _« Sure yeah. Give me a minute so I can tell someone I'm taking a break and I'll buy you dinner. »_

Paige wanted to protest but Toby was already too far from her, talking to a woman who made her think way too much about her mother. Speaking of her mother. It was all her fault if she was in this situation. She ran away from her home because of her, and now she couldn't come back to live in it, because of her too.

Toby didn't take long and the two of them left the place to go to a quiet dinner not far from it. Paige was still hesitating to tell him the whole story but Toby used some of his behaviorist tricks and she ended up speaking up about a lot more than what she initially planned, like her relationship with her parents or the fact that she couldn't explain why she didn't want Walter's help anymore. Toby was a good listener, he showed a few reactions when needed, but he didn't speak until she was finished.

 _« Oookay. Now do I have the permission to give you a few advices? »_

 _« Um sure, I mean that's what you do so… »_

Toby nodded and took a deep breath, careful about which words he was going to use.

 _« So I understand that you don't want to ask Walter for help anymore, because that's what you did every time you were in trouble and he already did a lot for you. Sometimes you don't want to have the feeling to owe a person too much, because that could get you the impression that your not allowed to feel anything else towards that person but gratefulness. »_

 _« I guess you right. That doesn't solve my problem though… »_

 _« But Paige, there is more than this between you and Walter. I think that you are afraid to go to him because you're afraid of getting too close, and of your other feelings for him. »_

Paige didn't expect this, and she hoped she wasn't turning all red, but there was a high probability that she was.

 _« Wh… what other feelings? »_

 _« Come on Paige, it doesn't take a genius to notice. You and Walter you're… you're meant to be together. And of course I can think about a few reasons why you don't want to do anything about it, you have a lot of important things to deal with and all but… You won't meet a guy like Walter twice in you life. And he won't fall for someone twice either.»_

 _« I… I don't think he likes me this way Toby. I know he's making efforts but he had such a low EQ… »_

 _« And who do you think he is making efforts for? »_

Toby now had this arrogant smile of when he knew he was making a point, but Paige wasn't sure about this. She felt that her relationship with Walter was in a dead end, and that if something had been meant to happen, it should have been ages ago. Of course she was with Drew before but she had been ready to dump him for Walter after their kiss, and he reminded her oh too well that it wasn't right.

 _« Look Toby, I don't know about this. Like you said I have a lot to deal with so I'm not sure I have the time to think about the meaning behind of each weird action Walter takes. I have to get back to work, find a new apartment and a solution for Ralph, this is just all too much. »_

 _« I know. And it's okay to take some time because I'm pretty sure Walter won't go anywhere without you. Anyway, about you issues, I think that Happy wouldn't mind having you with her until you figure out something else. I mean Walter was the best solution but you made it clear that you had enough of his kindness, and I would have offered you to come to my place if it wasn't a simple bedroom in the Harvard campus. But Happy has an apartment big enough to welcome you, she isn't home often and also she likes you, and Ralph. »_

Happy wasn't the person that Paige was the closest too, but maybe it was for the best in a way. She knew that the girl wouldn't ask too many questions and above all, would never treat her as an attended.

« _I'll think about it. Thank you Toby. For listening to me and all. God I must sound so lost and helpless. »_

 _« It's okay, you know we're friends Paige. I know that you have eyes only for Walter but don't forget that we're here too for you. And a genius never lets a friend down. »_

 _ **Thanks everyone for all of your nice reviews on my last chapter. It's true that writing this helps, and I was to my family house in Italy for the three past days, with no internet or many distraction so I thad the time to write a lot and I'll be able to update a few chapters in the days to come. Take care all of you.**_


	43. Chapter 43

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 43

 _ **To the one who asked me about it, I might indeed consider a chapter involving a dance between Walter and Paige ;)**_

 _ **Also I've been meaning to post this yesterday but I got an internet problem :( Now it's fixed so enjoy!**_

After long hours of thinking, Paige had called Happy and explained her, more briefly than with Toby, her problem, saying that Toby mentioned she would be okay to have a roommate, well even two if you count Ralph, for a while. Just like Paige expected, the girl didn't ask any questions, about why she had to leave her house, or why she wasn't going back to the O'Brien's, and gave her the direction of her place.

Just a day after this phone call, Paige was moving in into Happy's apartment. The mechanic was very organized and insisted a lot on which objects Paige shouldn't touch in any circumstance, meaning almost everything. But Paige didn't mind, she was more fascinated by how Happy could keep her place so clean while building weird machines in every corner of each room. She said that Paige could sleep in her room and she would take the couch for the time that Ralph and her were here, but Paige refused, saying that if someone had to take the couch it should be her. She half expected Happy to argue about this, like Walter would have, but she just shrugged and mumbled a _« Whatever you want Dineen. »_

When they finished the little tour, Happy help Paige building back Ralph's baby bed (she did everything in fact, which was way more efficient) and then offered her a beer, that she refused.

 _« Thanks for having me here Happy. I know you and I never really talked, like, just the two of us, so this means a lot to me. »_

 _« You're Walter's friend and I trust his judgment. Besides it's not like I spend a lot of time here, I only come when I need some sleep or to put stuff that I can't keep at the garage where I work. »_

Paige wanted to ask about how much sleep she was actually getting but instead she just nodded and put Ralph in his bed. She also noticed that if Toby made it clear to her that he now considered her as a friend, she stayed 'Walter's friend' to Happy's eyes. But she didn't mind, she knew that Happy was very hard to crack up, especially if you're a normal, and she hoped that she could make her change her mind about the fact that having normal friends isn't necessarily worthless.

 _« Also Dineen, I didn't tell anything to Walter yet because I guess there is a reason if you're at my place and not his. Should I keep my mouth shut for now? »_

Paige felt ashamed that she hadn't tell anything about her problems to Walter, he would probably be a little mad if he knew that she came to her friends before him. But she would have to tell him at some point that she was staying with his best friend.

 _« It… it doesn't have to be a secret but… I didn't speak to him yet so… yeah I think it's best if I talk to him myself first. »_

Any normal person would have asked what exactly was going on, but Happy wasn't any normal person. Still, Paige suspected that she understood a lot more than what she was showing. She was a lot like Walter in terms of her own emotions, never talking about it and pretending she couldn't feel anything. But when it came to other people, she seemed to know instinctively what was going on with them. That could be the effect of hanging out a lot with Toby, or just a sixth sense that even her wasn't aware of, Paige wasn't sure. She wished she could casually ask Happy to talk more about her, but she had this very intimidating look of a person who didn't want to be bothered all the time.

 _« We gather at his place tonight, I'm sure he told you. You should go earlier so the two of you can talk and avoid any weird moments when we're all together. I hate it when Toby has to lighten the mood because two people make the situation awkward. I mean don't take it personally, it's Walter's work most of the time this happens. »_

Happy was right, Walter did told her to come this evening, and it was probably best if she had a moment to talk to him when everybody wasn't around. So she texted Walter that she was coming now, she took Ralph with her and a few minutes later she was at this now so familiar loft, knocking on the door.

Seeing Walter's friendly face made her feel both very happy and also a little nostalgic about living with him.

 _« Hey Paige! Hey Ralph! I'm glad to see you both, come in. »_

Paige followed him inside and noticed he had made a few changes in the apartment. Moved his desk and finally bought a TV.

 _« So, you wanted to talk to me or you just missed me too much now that you're not living with me anymore? »_ asked Walter.

 _« Is that humour I'm sensing mister O'Brien? »_

 _« I-I don't know. I think it was a serious question. I mean I missed you so I guessed… Did I asked you in a funny way? »_

Paige couldn't help but laugh at how honestly clumsy Walter was. She did miss him a lot. Then she realized that laughing must have confused him even more.

 _« No, don't worry, it was a perfectly legitimate question. And to answer it, well I guess it was a little bit of both. »_

 _« Oh. So you want to talk to me? Is everything okay in you house? »_

Paige bit her lip as she felt a little wave of guilt at the idea of Walter being so worried about her and having no clue about her situation.

 _« Do you mind if we sit? This little guy here isn't walking yet but he is starting to get heavy in my arms. »_

 _« Oh sure. Here, let me take him. »_ said Walter as he took very naturally Ralph in his arms. The little boy seemed to be very happy to find himself back here, as he gave a wide smile to the genius.

 _« Hey buddy, I missed you too you know. »_

Paige thought she would never cease to be amazed at how these two seemed to like each other. She was sure that when Ralph would be a little more grow up, him and Walter would get along so well.

The three of them sat down on the couch and Walter looked at Paige expectantly, waiting for her to talk.

 _« So I told you about my… the situation of my mother right? »_

Walter nodded so she continued.

 _« The thing is… She had debts and well I don't have a lot of money so… I was evicted from the house. »_

 _« What?! But when is the eviction taking place? And where are you going to stay? Do you want to come back here? Just the time we figure something else if you want but… »_

 _« Walter stop. »_ cut Paige. Walter was surprised about how she interrupted him but he stopped talking.

 _« I already quit my house. I… I'm staying with Happy. It's all new, I mean I moved my stuff today and well it's temporary. I'm going back to work on Monday and I'm looking for a place of my own. »_

Walter stared at her, trying to process everything she was telling him. How weird was that, that his best friend and his… well Paige were living together and he didn't even know. It took him a few seconds to realize that she was waiting for him to say something.

 _« Why… why didn't you tell me? »_

Paige knew that this question was going to be asked, and she had prepared an answer, but right now with Walter's eyes looking deep inside her owns, she was short of words.

 _« I… I don't know. I'm sorry I didn't. It's just that… you already did so much for me I think… I think I was kind of trying to prove myself that I can move on in life without your help. It was stupid, I mean look where it got me. Helped by your friends. I guess I just can't get away from you Walter O'Brien. »_

 _« Do you want to get away from me? »_ asked Walter, looking slightly offended.

 _« No, no of course not. I… I meant that as a joke. »_

 _« Oh, I see._ »

He didn't see why it was supposed to be funny in fact, but he guessed that humour was still a thing he had to work on.

 _« Paige, you know that there is nothing shameful in asking for help right? It can be a little… well laughable coming from me because I don't easily accept that I need a hand but my sister always tells me that I'm too stubborn and that it's not wrong to be vulnerable once in a while. »_

 _« And she's right but I just… feel like I'm vulnerable all the time. I know that my situation isn't common for a girl my age but I know I'm strong Walter, I could easily deal with my problems if only they came one at a time instead of all at the same time… »_

Walter smiled at this last sentence. He always had seen life like a big mathematical problem with many variables and he was happy to think that for once, he could maybe advice Paige.

 _« Well when things don't come in order to you, you have to make order. Just make a mental list of your priorities and do one thing at a time, then you'll see everything will follow naturally. »_

Paige was surprised at how wise sounded Walter. She was usually the one giving him advices about the 'real life', not the other way around. What he said made a lot of sense and made her realized that in fact she was probably doing well for the mess she was in.

She was about to answer him when Cabe burst into the apartment, followed by another guy. Paige couldn't quite see his face because he was walking so close behind Cabe that he could have been his shadow.

 _« Hey kid, you should think about locking your door sometimes, we can walk in here like in a public parc. »_

 _« Yeah well public parcs don't have a door you can knock on. »_ argued Walter.

« _Hey Paige, didn't know you would be here. Anyway, I came earlier because I want you to meet someone. »_

The guy behind Cabe took a step aside and turned out to be a young man, maybe a year or two older than Walter, with a very confident look on his face for a guy his age. Paige examined his features and decided he was an attractive boy. He lacked a little charm maybe, but she was only judging from the few seconds he had been in the room.

 _« This is a very promising Seal Trainee they sent me for a little extra formation. He is going to follow us on some cases Walter. I let you introduce yourself boy. »_

 _« Hi, Cabe told me a lot about your work, it's an honor to finally meet you. My name is Tim Armstrong. »_

 _ **Yup. Sorry.**_


	44. Chapter 44

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 44

 _ **Soooo, a lot of reactions about Tim being a part of this story. I understand if you don't like the idea, I thought a lot about what part he would play in this, but as I said since the beginning, I want to keep this story close to canon somehow and above all to bring in every important character we had in Scorpion (so there are still some to come ;)).**_

 _ **Anyway, I don't plan having him for too long, and I'm hearing you, I will probably change a little the plot line I had planned for him, but he's still gonna be here for a few chapters. I know that the slow burn is really long here, but I think that what makes a relationship between two characters deep and truly interesting to watch/read is the journey that comes before. In some shows I watched, the ships were sometimes brought together too soon and I couldn't bring myself to really root for them, so that's why even though I've been frustrated a lot, I'm glad Scorpion's writers waited three seasons to make Waige happen. We all know where my story is going, and if I want to still have a lot of things to write after Walter and Paige are together, I need to build a good foundation. And again, I'm so thankful to all of you who may be frustrated by this story but who stick with me anyway to enjoy the ride. I still have a lot of things to give you and this story isn't ending anytime soon for me.**_

It had been a few weeks since Tim had first been introduces to the geniuses, and he even already had to go on a case with Walter. He was a smart guy for a normal, even if he was a little lost when Walter started to talk in scientific terms, he rapidly caught up with what was needed from him. He was very rapid and skilled in anything that needed physical strength, and if he could look like the type of guy that bullied Walter when he was in school, he turned out not to be that way. In fact Walter could almost have liked him, if it wasn't for one thing.

He was clearly hitting on Paige. That was so obvious that even a guy with absolutely no clue about social relations picked it up. He hadn't done anything to him, but when Walter walked out of his bedroom to find Paige laughing at one of Tim's joke, he wanted to punch him into his perfect teeth. Walter never used violence in his life, first because it was stupid and second because he was almost always the weakest one. But he couldn't lie, he had already wanted to hit a few people in his life and Tim was one of them.

The worst thing was that Paige wasn't doing anything about it. In a way he couldn't blame Tim for flirting with Paige, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and Walter would like to make Paige laugh at lame jokes if he had the guts, and a better sense of humour. And now that Paige even seemed to enjoy the young trainee's company, Walter felt useless and depressed. One time Walter saw him bringing her coffee, and he was a hundred per cent sure that she would refuse it, given that it was a simple black one, and that she liked it with extra sugar and the more important, with cinnamon. When she was staying with Walter, she even told him that she couldn't drink coffee without it's touch of cinnamon.

But she accepted the cup Tim handed him with a big smile and drank it. And Walter couldn't explain why but it made him want to throw up. Tim was even good with Ralph, he met him a few times and he was what you call a natural with kids. And Walter felt left aside by Paige these days, but he didn't do anything about it. He could have talked to her, make a move before Tim would steal her from him, but instead he just pretended that nothing was bothering him and focused on his work. He even wrapped up his mind around the idea that Paige could like another guy. He wanted what was best for her and if Drew was a total jerk, Tim was actually a good guy.

On Paige's side, things were quite difficult to manage. She was still looking for an apartment and she had visited some but either the price was too high, or the place was sold to another buyer with a 'more stable life'. She also started working again, Ralph being kept sometimes by Megan and Sylvester, sometimes by a very nice sitter she found, and occasionally by Walter when he didn't have too much work. She wasn't seeing the team too much these days since she was very busy and she used her free time to spend time with Ralph or sleep because she was exhausted. She didn't see Happy this much either because the girl didn't lie when she said she was almost never home.

There was also this new guy, Tim. Paige was getting along well with him, and despite how much she liked the geniuses, having normal discussions with a guy her age was always nice. He still made her uncomfortable sometimes, because she could feel he liked her and was making lame attempts to see if she was interested too but he was genuinely a good person so Paige let it go.

One day though, as she was at Walter's with the whole team to celebrate the success of a mission they had, Tim came to her, looking a little embarrassed.

 _« Hey Paige, can I talk to you for a second? »_

 _« Sure, go ahead. »_

 _« So you know, I could have died today and it made me realize that I should do this while I still have the time. »_

Paige was looking at him with curiosity but didn't say anything.

 _« Okay here I go. I know that Ralph's father isn't in the picture anymore, Cabe told me. So I wondered if maybe… you'd like to go out with me sometimes? On a… date you know. Like a dinner, or even a drink? »_

Paige wasn't exactly surprised by his offer. She just wished that it was someone else who had the guts to ask her out. Like some genius with curled hair.

 _« I… I don't think I can accept Tim, I'm truly sorry. »_

 _« Oh. »_

Paige could see the disappointment on his face and she felt bad, but she had her reasons.

 _« Can I ask you why? »_

That was a tricky question.

 _« It's just that… I have a lot going on in my life so I'm not sure I want to date anyone at this point and… well other things you know. »_

 _« I see. Is there someone else in you life I'm not aware of? »_

 _« Oh no. I mean… that's hard to explain but… in a way yes. I hope we can still be friends though. »_

Tim half smiled, looking at his feet.

 _« Sure, yeah friends sounds good. »_

Luckily for Paige, who didn't know what to say anymore, Happy interrupted this moment.

 _« Hey Dineen, want a ride home? »_

Paige didn't expect this proposition but rapidly accepted and a few minutes after saying goodbye to everyone, she was with Happy on her couch.

 _« So, SEAL guy asked you out didn't he? »_

Paige was surprised by Happy's question but she also thought that it could maybe be an occasion for them to talk a little more, like friends.

 _« How do you know? »_

 _« Are you really asking me that? Anyway, what did you say? »_

 _« I… I said no. »_

 _« Why? »_

Paige wasn't sure if she wanted to reveal Happy the real reason she refused Tim's advances but then she thought that she could trust the girl. She wasn't the type to repeat everything to the others.

 _« Well, if he'd ask you, would you have said yes? »_

 _« Of course no. But I would have said no to anyone because I'm not the type to date. But he is objectively good looking and not to dumb for a normal, I just thought he would have been your type. »_

 _« You said yes to Toby. »_

It was Happy's turn to look surprised.

 _« How do you know? He told you right? That idiot can't keep his mouth shut. »_

Paige tried not to smile too much at this. Indeed Toby told her about how he went out with Happy once and about his feelings for her and the fact that Happy probably wasn't ready yet, but that he was willing to wait the time she needed for her. She found their relation so cute and hoped that it wouldn't take too long to the mechanist to realize what she could have.

 _« Anyway, the truth is you would have said no to Tim because you like someone else. »_

 _« Okay so first of all I don't_ _ **like**_ _anyone the way you think I do and second… are you confessing to me that you said no to him because you like Walter? »_

Paige was sure that Happy would pick it up. In fact she was sure that she already picked it up and that this conversation was just a ruse to make her admit it.

 _« Maybe… »_

 _« Ah finally! You two are such morons I mean how long are you going to stay like this instead of getting together? »_

 _« Hey you have no right to tell me this considering you're still not with Toby. Besides it's not as easy as you make it sound. I mean have you seen Walter? He is harder to crack than any… software really hard to crack you could think of. »_

 _« Not true. It might look like this but in fact Walter is as easy to read as an open book. You just have to look at the right pages. »_

Paige wanted to ask more to Happy, about what she meant by this, and if she really thought that Walter and her could be a thing. She wanted to ask her about how was Walter before she met him, their teenage years together and all. But she couldn't have too much in one night.

« _I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed now. Sleep well Dineen. »_

Then Happy disappeared in her bedroom. And Paige didn't get much sleep this night, thinking about what the future was holding for her.


	45. Chapter 45

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 45

The following day, Paige was determined to go talk to Walter. She had been thinking a lot after her conversation with Happy, and she knew that the answers to all of her questions wouldn't come by themselves. She never had to do anything for boys to come to her so this was all new for her, but maybe Walter was worth trying. She wasn't exactly sure yet if it was love she felt for him, and she didn't know either what she was going to tell him, but what she knew was that her life felt better since Walter was in it and that even if he didn't feel the same, he deserved to know how much he meant to her. So Paige asked Happy to keep Ralph and her heart racing, she did that same path again, to Walter's loft.

But when she arrived she saw that the door was half-opened so she carefully sneaked in, surprised to find Sylvester, in one hell of a state.

 _« Sly? What's going on? »_

The young genius jumped at the sound of Paige and faced her. She saw that he had been crying and was beginning to be really worried about the situation.

 _« Oh Paige it's you. Please tell me you know where Walter is? »_

 _« I-I'm sorry I don't. I was looking for him actually. Did anything happen? »_

Sylvester looked disappointed at Paige's answer, but he took a deep breath to explain her what was going on.

 _« It's um… it's Megan. She's not well. You know she has this incurable condition… multiple sclerosis and… well during the night she had complications… I don't know what exactly happened but Walter took her to the hospital and called me but by the time I got there he was gone. And I don't know where he is but he needs to face what's happening because she needs him and he… he can't just runaway from this! »_

Paige was shocked by the news, she knew that Megan's condition was very unpredictable but she never considered the possibility of it getting worse in a short lapse of time. She was split between wanting to go to the hospital to support her friend and the need to find Walter and be sure he was there for his sister.

 _« I… I'm so sorry to hear this Sly. I don't know what to do… Do you have any idea of a place where Walter could go in this kind of situation? Somewhere maybe reassuring for him?»_

 _« I don't, he spends most of his time in this apartment, I don't really know anywhere else where he feels at ease. »_

At these words, Paige remembered something from the first time she and Walter went out. Maybe she knew where he was after all.

 _« I think I have an idea. Okay so why don't you go back to the hospital to check on Megan and I take care of Walter, and we'll join you as soon as I find him? »_

Sylvester shook his head, took his jacket and went out of the loft, giving Paige a weird hug on his way.

After what, Paige quickly went to the place she was thinking of. It was the beach where he took her the day after her birthday, saying that it was a place he felt at ease and where he often came with his sister. She was almost a hundred per cent sure that he would be here, it was instinct.

And indeed, here he was, in the sand, drawing patterns with a wood stick. Paige got closer slowly, not wanting to surprise him too much but still trying to make her presence noticed. But Walter was completely oblivious to her so she gently rested her hand on his shoulder and he finally lifted his head to look at her.

 _« Paige? What are you doing here? »_

 _« Well I was looking for you dummy. I know why you came here and I understand but you can't be alone right now. People need you. »_

 _« You don't understand. Just… leave please. »_

Paige was vexed by Walter's reaction but she didn't have the time to think about her. She needed to brink Walter to the hospital with her.

 _« Walter you have to go see your sister. What is she gonna think if her own brother isn't there to support her in this difficult time? Besides Sly is worried sick, even more than usual. He needs his friend too. »_

Walter got up to face Paige and his look was nothing she had ever seen on him before. It was a mixture of sadness, anger and determination, in a scary way.

 _« Okay I'm only going to say this once. I want to help my sister. But if everybody thinks that just… moaning in an hospital will do it well they're wrong! I… I need to fix her Paige. And for that I need my brain, completely focused on this, no emotions in the picture. So I really need you to go now and let me… find a cure… This is what's important. »_

As he was speaking, his voice was breaking more and more and it saddened Paige to see him like this, helpless but refusing it.

 _« No it's not Walter… You can't… you can't fix everything. And you can't leave your emotions on the side like this. What is important now is that you go to your sister's side and you show her that you're here. »_

Walter's eyes were starting to become wet with tears and his bottom lip was trembling, but he didn't want to accept it. He couldn't.

 _« Paige I can't lose her. And it won't matter if I was here or not when… if she's gone. »_

 _« That's where you're wrong. Please come with me. »_

Paige was now handing her hand to Walter, hoping he would take it. He looked at it for a few seconds before finally reaching it and closing his eyes a moment.

 _« Just… don't make me give up on my researches. »_

 _« Of course not! Now come here, we got someone to visit. »_

A few minutes later Walter and Paige were at the door of Megan's room, in this white and cold hospital that Walter hated so much.

 _« Do you want me to wait here? »_

Walter instantly took Paige's hand in his and held it tight.

 _« No please come with me. I mean… she's your friend too. »_

Paige nodded and they entered the room to find Sylvester murmuring things to a sleepy Megan, laying in her bed plugged to different machines and with tubes in her nose. Paige was impressed by this sight and she had to tighten her grip around Walter whom she felt was a little weak too.

 _« Walter, thank god you're here! »_ Sylvester exclaimed.

 _« How is she doing? »_

 _« The doctor said that she's stabilized and that this kind of episodes can happen. He doesn't know when she will be out though, he prefers keeping her under surveillance for now. »_

Walter processed what his friend was telling him and let go of Paige to sit besides his sister. He grabbed his hand and started mumbling things in a low voice.

 _« Um Sylvester, how about a cup of coffee? »_ offered Paige.

The young man understood what Paige was implying and nodded as they both went out of the room to give Walter some space. And as he was murmuring things to Megan, she started to open her eyes slowly.

 _« Hey little bro. I'm glad you're here. »_ she said softly as her lips formed a smile.

 _« I'm sorry Megan. I'm so sorry. »_

 _« What for? »_

 _« I… I'm sorry that I don't know how to help you. I'm gonna figure it out I promise. »_

Megan rolled her eyes. She loved her brother so much, and she knew that he loved her too, but she didn't want him to spend all his energy trying to fix a problem that couldn't be fixed.

 _« Don't make promises you can't hold Walter. Besides don't worry, my time hasn't come yet. I may look weak but you haven't seen the last of me little genius. »_

 _« But Megan I… »_

 _« I'm very happy right now you know. I have everything I could dream of. I wish you could allow yourself to be as happy as I am. »_

Walter didn't understand. How could she be happy in an hospital bed? How could he allow hisself to be happy when the cure for his sister still remained a mystery?

 _« I'll be happy when I get you out of here. »_

 _« Well I certainly don't intend to stay in this bed for too long, but I wasn't talking about this. Can't you see you have everything you need within easy reach to be happy? »_

 _« I don't understand, you're making no sense. You need to rest Megan. I'll go back to the loft to work on my researches but I'll come by tonight. »_

 _« You'll understand soon Walter, you'll see… »_

And as Megan went back to sleep, Walter got out of the hospital, without even saying a word to his friends to go back on his work.


	46. Chapter 46

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 46

 _ **Hi everyone, I'm very sorry for the delay on that chapter, I've been pretty busy but I'm not giving up on that story!**_

It had been a week now since Megan was in the hospital and Paige hadn't seen Walter much since he spent all of his time focusing on finding a cure for his sister. He even turned down some private jobs which, in Paige's opinion, was stupid since he could use a little extra money.

On her side she had found a little apartment in town and things were not settled yet but she was pretty confident that the lodger had been touched by her story and that she could very soon move out from Happy's place to have her own home with Ralph.

On Saturday night she wasn't working so she decided to go check on Walter, first because she missed spending time with him but also because she was afraid that he would stop feeding himself, working too much and not having Megan around to remind him of his primal needs. So when Paige arrived at his loft, she wasn't surprised to find Walter at his desk, again mumbling to himself as he was typing very fast things that made no sense to her on his computer.

 _« Walter ? »_ said Paige as she approached him slowly, not wanting to surprise him to much.

Walter lifted up his head and smiled at her.

 _« Oh, hi Paige. That's nice to see you. »_ he declared almost automatically before going back to work.

Paige was frustrated that he wouldn't give her more attention but at the same time relieved that he heard and answered her. Happy told her about that thing they called the rabbit hole, where them geniuses could get down pretty deep when they were too absorbed in their work. She explained her that Walter was the one who had the worst times when they were younger and he didn't know his limits yet, and that he would totally shut down to everybody, not even noticing their presence, to spend days and nights working on some very hard problems. During these periods he would stop eating or sleeping and it took his friends a lot of time and energy to get him back to real life.

Luckily it wasn't one of these times but since Happy told her all of this, Paige was always afraid that Walter would get down that hole again by being to absorbed in his curent project.

 _« Don't you want any heads up? I mean you really have no time? I can leave if you want to… »_

That sentence always worked to make Walter stop his work for a little while when Paige was annoyed by his lack of interest in what she had to say and this time was no exception. She was split between pride because he would not want her to leave and guilt because she had to use this little trick to make him stop from doing something that was really important for him now.

 _« No don't… I don't want you to leave. How is Ralph? »_

 _« Well he's great, he is with Happy right now, I managed to convince her to keep him. »_

Walter nodded in understanding.

 _« And how… how are you? »_

 _« I'm pretty fine actually! I found a little place not to far from here, I should be able to live in my own apartment soon. »_

 _« That's… that's great Paige! I'm happy for you. »_ he said with a smile.

That made Paige smile too. She definitely missed when he was like this, interacting with her in a cute way instead of barely noticing she was here.

 _« But I'm also a little worried about you Walter. Do you eat? Or do you even sleep? »_

Walter's smile faded away at this. He didn't like when his friends questioned his health or his way of living, especially when his goal was so important.

 _« Well you don't have to worry about me. I know myself, and I know how much sleep or food I need to have to stay efficient. And that's not your place, or anyone else's, because I know you've all been talking behind my back about what a fool I am, to question it. »_

 _« Walter we just want what's best for you because we care about you, and we miss spending time with you. I miss spending time with you. »_

Walter stared at Paige in silence for a few seconds and she wasn't sure if she just found the right thing to say to reason him.

 _« What's best for me is that my sister gets better. »_

Paige was about to open her mouth again to tell him that maybe he couldn't do anything about it and that he should leave that to the doctors when Cabe and Tim came in the apartment.

 _« Hey kids, I'm sorry did we interrupt something? »_

 _« No that's okay we just finished talking. Why are you here? »_

Paige didn't know if she should stay or not, but eventually decided to stay in case Walter decided to be an ass with the homeland agent too.

 _« I have an offer to make to you son. Straight from Homeland direction. »_

 _« Did they finally decide to give me the citizenship so I can divorce Happy? »_

 _« Um no, that's not it, but that's great news too. The direction told me that they were very satisfied with you results, and that they noticed that you were even more efficient when you worked with your friends on the cases. So they offer you to extend the contract to everyone you think is valuable, to form a team in fact. »_

Walter was very happy about the news. The geniuses always planned to work together as a team in the future but he didn't think that it could happen so easily. Although there was still one little detail that needed to be fixed.

 _« That's definitely great new Cabe, thanks. But you know that if I make a team, I'm going to need a headquarter, and my apartment is fine but it's a bit little if I want to… »_

 _« Save you breath kid, I already knew you were going to ask about that so I managed to obtain you a budget that will allow you to buy this garage and a little extra technology to provide good work. So tell you friends and if everything is good with you all, I'll be back with the contracts in a few days. Also, you'll have to take Tim in your team. »_

The SEAL boy made a gesture with his hand, looking very happy to be a part of this adventure. Walter wasn't as thrilled because he knew it meant that he would have to see him around even more. He also wanted to take a little step back before agreeing to Cabe's proposition. He knew that if Homeland offered him all this, they would expect him to be fully committed for them and he would have less time for his researches. Also the budget they were promising him represented a lot of money that he could use in maybe more useful ways.

 _« I'll think about it. Thanks Cabe. »_

Cabe and Tim were about to leave then but before opening the door, Tim turned around to face Walter.

 _« Walter I just want you to know that even though you may think I don't have my place inside of your team because I'm no genius, I believe that I could be an asset in some missions. »_

 _« I don't recall questioning that. You've proven yourself useful in the past. As long as you don't step out from you role. »_

Tim nodded, not sure if he should take that well or not, and finally left with Cabe.

 _« That's really great isn't it? »_ said Paige in a very enthusiastic voice.

Walter looked down at his work, and then at Paige again. He was very happy about the perspective of a future where all of his friends would work with him in this garage that he wanted to buy for so long. And he didn't want to give up on those researches but he knew that he wasn't even close to finding a solution and that eventually he would have to move on with his life and hope that Megan's condition wouldn't evolve too fast.

 _« Yes it is. It is really great. »_


	47. Chapter 47

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 47

 _ **I say it a lot but I want to thank again everybody who still reads this story. I never thought I could last this long when I started! I'm going on holidays for a week so there won't be any chapters during this time. Enjoy this one for now !**_

A week later everybody was gathered at the garage to celebrate the acquisition of the garage. Even Megan had been authorized to get out of the hospital and even if seeing her in a wheelchair was a bit weird for Walter, he didn't recall a day where he was this happy since… well probably since the first time he went out with Paige.

The owner of the place gladly sold it to him, he didn't really use it anymore and he knew that Walter wanted it bad, he just didn't wanted to give it to him for no money. He even left some of the stuff he was storing here, saying to Walter that he could do anything he wanted with it, including the caravan that Paige spotted the first time she came.

What Walter didn't told his friends yet, was the reason why Homeland was allowing him to expand his workplace. Of course Paige and Tim already knew since they were here when Cabe made him the offer, but Walter asked Cabe and Paige not to tell the other yet and he was pretty sure that Tim wasn't exactly talking to the rest of them anyway. But Walter couldn't keep the secret much longer since Toby was constantly asking how he managed to gather the money and also because he was really impatient to tell them.

So as everybody had either a coup of champagne or a soda, for those who didn't drink alcohol, in hand, Walter cleared his throat before starting to speak. He wasn't really good for public speeches but he would do his best.

 _« Attention everyone! So you um… you're probably wondering how I bought this place all of a sudden. Well for that we have to thank Cabe here and Homeland who lend me enough money to get this place and even do a few renovation. »_

Everybody turned to Cabe and raised their glass in his direction as the Homeland agent gave them all modest smiles.

 _« But of course they didn't do it for no reason. The truth is, Homeland asked me to form a team to work on some missions instead of me doing it alone. And if you're here it's because… well each one of you is a part of my team. Cabe and Tim are the tough guys and they're going to help us with the physical work and all. Megan you're my sister and I… I need you to keep me grounded so even though you probably won't be able to come to the field I… I'd like you to be a part of this. Happy you're the most talented mechanic I know and I'm pretty sure you can build anything from nothing. Toby, even though you can be a real pain in the ass, we could really use your medical skills and your abilities to analyse people. Then Sylvester your basically a human calculator which can be really valuable for a lot of cases. And finally… Paige. You are my liaison to the real world, and you know better than anyone how to connect with normals, and that's why I need you. »_

Everybody was now watching Walter with eyes wide open. They didn't expect that at all and they were all very touched to be a part of this. Even Paige who knew about this had no clue that Walter wanted her in his team. She was so grateful and proud that he could consider her as an asset in the middle of all these over-skilled people.

Seeing that nobody was answering, Walter was afraid that maybe they didn't want to leave their current situation for a risky job like this, or maybe they were afraid that he wouldn't be able to pay them all…

 _« So um… that's about it… If you want more details you're welcome to come to my um… office, right here, »_ he said as he pointed a desk in the back of the garage, _« and well… Homeland had contracts made, I-I'll give them to you so you can read it and think about it and… »_

 _« Walter. »_ interrupted Toby. _« I think I can speak on the behalf of everybody here when I say that we're truly happy about this perspective and that this team will rapidly need a name 'cause it's going to be the best damn team in the world. »_

Everybody agreed and Walter felt a wave of relief. His life was finally taking the turn he was expecting for a long time now, and things were definitely going to be great.

And as everybody was toasting, Megan came to Walter, a smile on her face that he knew too well. She had this face when she was happy but she was about to tell him something that he didn't want to hear.

 _« Walter can I talk to you? »_

 _« Uh sure… »_

 _« So I know that you meant well by including me into this, and it means a lot to me, but I'm not going to sign this contract. »_

Walter half expected her to decline, but he still hoped that she wouldn't.

 _« Why? »_

 _« Because I like my current job and I think that it's enough for me, I don't need more stressful situations like you're going to encounter. I think that your team will be fine without me, and that Paige will perfectly fit the job of keeping you grounded. But I'm really happy for you little brother, finally something that suits you. »_

 _« I… I understand. You'll still be around a lot anyway right? »_

 _« Of course. Now go on and celebrate with your friends. This is the beginning of a great adventure for Team Scorpion. »_

Walter knew why his sister came up with this name, and what it was referring to. Scorpion was the name he took when he first hacked NASA and he had taken it because of a documentary he had watched the same day with his sister about the animal, which had fascinated both of them.

So they just smiled, not needing more words to understand each other and Walter went to talk to Cabe and Tim about some details as Megan went back by the side of Sylvester.

Meanwhile, Paige excused her for a moment because she needed to go feed Ralph, leaving Happy and Toby together to plot something Happy was meaning to do for a while now.

 _« Toby I need your help for something. »_

 _« Do you? That would be a first… »_

 _« Just shut it and listen to me. A while ago when Paige was still living with me, she kind of admitted to me that she had feelings for O'Brien. I mean not that we didn't already know but she actually acknowledged it. But the thing is I don't think she'll make a move unless he does so we need to talk to Walter, and well I think it's best if you do it. Are you in? »_

 _« Meddling into something that's not my business? Of course I'm in! Should I talk to him like right now?»_

 _« Well if you feel like it. »_

 _« You got it! »_ exclaimed Toby as he winked to Happy.

Happy wasn't sure about what she just did. Toby was absolutely able to reason Walter and talk him into admitting his feelings too, as much as he was able to blow the whole thing off by being a jerk. But her friend was in a good mood these days and she just wanted him to be happy.

 _« Hey, sorry fellas, can I borrow you Walter a minute? »_

Walter looked curiously at Toby as Cabe and Tim nodded, saying that they would talk about all this later anyway, and the Harvard student dragged his friend in a more isolated place of the garage.

« _Is this about the job? I didn't tell you earlier but you don't have to worry I've thought everything through for everyone and of course you'll still be able to follow your classes. Not that you're going much anyway but… »_

 _« I appreciate Walter but this is not about that. »_

 _« Oh. What then? »_

 _« It's about Paige actually. As much as I like her I didn't think that you could… you know hire her for this kind of job I mean… »_

Walter knew that his geniuses friends were going to doubt his choice, but he more expected Happy to ask him about it first.

 _« Are you questioning Paige's value to the team already? »_

 _« No, no! Not at all, that's not my point. I'm just you know, wondering if there isn't an other motive behind this? »_

Walter was now frowning his eyebrows, not exactly sure what his friends implied.

« _I don't understand. What motive other that the conviction that she can be an asset could I have? »_

 _« I don't know if you're stupid or if you're doing this on purpose so I'm just going to be honest with you. I believe that you included Paige in the team because, sure maybe she can be of help, but mostly because you want her close to you, because you love her. »_

Walter was totally shaken by Toby's statement. His friend was teasing him about Paige since about the first day he mentioned her name but he never mentioned love with so much conviction. Walter realized he had to answer something and of course his elementary defense reflexes were still here.

 _« What are you talking about? I don't believe in love. »_

 _« Walter cut the crap, you're not fooling anyone but yourself. We both know that you would do anything for her, and that your heart start beating faster every time she walks in the room. That's called love pal. »_

 _« Stop it Toby, Paige is my friend and now colleague, So we're going to have amical and professional interactions but that's all. »_

 _« Oh so you're telling me that you wouldn't mind if she went out with the SEAL guy? 'Cause you know he likes her right? »_

 _« I strongly disapprove relationships in the office so yes, I would mind since they will both work for me. But I don't care if Paige dates someone else if that's your question. »_

Walter knew he was lying. Of course he cared about who Paige was seeing and he wanted to take her out just the two of them for a while now, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, it was still too absurd for him. But he knew that these feelings he had for Paige were more than friendship.

What he didn't knew was that Paige wanted to thank him for offering her this job, and that she was looking for him at the exact same moment where he was talking to Toby. No, Walter didn't knew that she just heard everything he just said, and that it broke her heart. He didn't knew either that she turned away and caught Tim just before he left the garage to ask him if his offer for a dinner was stil holding, and that the young SEAL boy gladly agreed to take her on a date two days later.

 _ **I know, it looks bad, but trust me ;)**_


	48. Chapter 48

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 48

 _ **Here is another chapter for you, I'm really glad to see after each one I post that you're still following this story, I never wrote anything that long before, especially not in english, but I still really enjoy it!**_

 _« For the last time, where is Paige? »_

That question was really bothering Walter this evening. Because it had taken less than a day for the whole team to establish the garage as their place to basically spend the day, and that everybody was gathered here but her. Even Ralph was there, in Sylvester arms, and Walter knew that something was going on but that they didn't want to tell him. And it really pissed him off that after everything he did for them his friends still kept thing from him.

Walter turned to Toby because he could see he was on the verge of dropping the thing, after all the boy always had troubles keeping things for himself, especially when it could give him the chance to tease Walter. And he got it right because after staring at him for two seconds, Toby started talking.

 _« Ok, ok I'll tell you. After all you said that you didn't care right? She's on a date with Tim that's where. »_

It took a little time for Walter's to process this information. He was usually really quick, but something was wrong in what he just heard. Paige and Tim were on a date? Of course he had noticed that the SEAL trainee liked her, but he never imagined that something could actually happen because… well because Paige was for him right? And that's where he realized it. He realized that Toby was right. He was in love with her. Yes, he just admitted it. He loved Paige.

 _« I'm a moron. »_

 _« You finally got it? »_

Walter stared at Toby for a few seconds. He was a few feet from him but he felt like a million miles away from everybody. He just got transported to another place, where he could see Paige and him together, with Ralph too, like a family. He was only 18 but it was clear for him that there wouldn't be any other woman but her in his life. He was a genius, he couldn't feel love like this twice in his life.

 _« I have to go. I need to stop this. »_

 _« Dude calm down… »_

 _« Where is she? What restaurant? »_

 _« I don't know I… »_

 _« Never mind, I'll just track her phone. »_

And without letting the time to his friend to say something more, Walter got his car keys and left the garage. He knew that Paige wouldn't be a big fan of him tracking down her location but he could always make something up. The most important thing from him at this point was telling her what was on his heart. Before it was too late.

Walter started his car and rapidly located Paige's position. He was driving fast, faster than he ever did. Maybe too fast…

— Paige was listening to Tim talking about his big projects when he would be done with his SEAL training, realizing what a big mistake she made coming here.

Of course Tim was a nice guy, he had been a real gentleman with her all the evening and he asked her a lot of questions about herself, showing his interest.

But the truth was that Paige found it kind of embarrassing being here and trying to tell him the least possible about her. It was weird because it was usually pleasant to have someone making efforts to get to know you, but she just didn't feel a possible connexion with Tim.

He had some common point with Drew too, clearly putting his career before everything else. So even if she had wanted more with Tim, Paige already had done into men who would choose their career over her.

Her phone suddenly rang and she thought that she was being saved until she saw it was Walter calling. She wanted to take it because it would give her a reason to stop trying to focus on what the guy in front of her was telling, but at the same time she was still pissed at him for what she heard him saying.

She knew that this dinner with Tim was about this. A few days before she was just on the process of admitting that she liked Walter more than just like a friend and hearing him deny for the umpteenth time that love was real broke her heart a little.

The time that she decides if she should take the call or not, it was too late, so she put her phone on silence mode to be more respectful and went back to her discussion with Tim, feeling miles away from him.

At the end of the dinner, Tim walked her back to her place where Megan should be watching Ralph by now. When they were in front of the door, she could see that he was hesitating to make a move, so she tried her best to show him she wasn't interested without being mean.

 _« I… I had a great time! »_ he declared.

 _« Uh sure, me too. »_

 _« Should we… maybe go out another time? We could go to the cinema or whatever you'd like to do? »_

Paige took a deep breath, thinking that she'd better be honest with him now before regretting it.

« _Look Tim, you're a very nice guy, but I don't think this is going anywhere. I'm really sorry if I led you to believe otherwise, it wasn't fair or me, I just reacted selfishly to something else in my life and I would understand if you were mad at me. But I hope this won't affect our work you know and well we can be friends. »_

 _« Oh. Okay. Thanks for your honesty. »_

Paige saw that he was a little disappointed but she was glad that this weight was off her chest. Tim started awkwardly in front of her for a few seconds before mumbling something like 'I guess I'll see you around.' and leaving.

Paige felt better already about this, but also thought that it didn't mean she was going to do anything about Walter. She didn't want to open her heart to him if she was going to hit a wall, and she was thinking that maybe she should take a little break from men to focus on her son and her new job. She still had her whole life in front of her to make the good choice.

But when she entered in her apartment all of her thoughts vanished to let place for a bigger problem : Megan and Ralph weren't here.

She checked her phone remembering that she didn't look at it since Walter's call and she saw that she had an awful amount of missed calls from the whole team.

« _Shit. »_

She first thought that they had a case but then realized that they didn't try calling Tim so it was probably not about this. Then she started worrying sick that something happened to Ralph. She was definitely done with dating for a while.

Paige rapidly composed Megan's number and her friend picked up on the first tone.

 _« Finally Paige! We've been trying to call you all night! »_

 _« Yeah I know I'm so sorry. Is Ralph okay? »_

Paige was on the verge of bursting into tears but Megan quickly reassured her.

 _« Yes don't worry, he's perfectly fine! We had to take him with us since we didn't know how to reach you… »_

Paige wanted to ask why they didn't try calling Tim but a much bigger question had to be answered first.

 _« What is it about then? »_

« _It's Walter. He had an accident, he's in the hospital now. »_

 _« What?! What happened? Is he okay? »_

 _« We don't know exactly, he said something about needing to talk to you before leaving abruptly the garage and new thing I know the hospital calls me saying that he ha a car crash. They think that he was driving pretty fast given from the damages of the car, and that he did it alone. He's hurt pretty bad but the doctors said that he's going to make it. I just… you should come it'll be better to talk. »_

Paige couldn't believe what she was hearing. She always thought that nothing could ever happen to Walter, because he was smart and strong in his own way and always got himself out of impossible situations so imagining him on an hospital bad was really stressful for her. And what was this about Walter needing to talk to her?

Eager to find this out and be sure that her friend was okay, Paige told Megan that she would be here as fast as she could before heading out.

 _ **So I originally planned to have Tim and Walter go out together for a little while but I read you reactions and I always said that I'm writing for my readers so I changed my plans and I have to say it's probably for the best, next chapters are going to be more interesting with Tim out of the picture !**_


	49. Chapter 49

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 49

Paige had been in the hospital for a few hours now and Walter wasn't awaken yet. The rest of the team stayed until late but then decided to go home to get some sleep and to come back early the next morning. Sylvester offered to keep Ralph for the night and Paige gladly accepted. She couldn't bring herself to leave Walter's side. Megan stayed longer than the others too, and she was still here in the hospital room, but Paige could see that she was exhausted.

And indeed, a few minutes later, Megan got up from her sit.

 _« I think I'm gonna go rest a little. It's not like there is anything we can do. You should go home too. »_

 _« I… I'd rather stay here. In case he wakes up you know he should have a familiar face with him. »_

There was a lot of things Megan wanted to tell Paige. She wanted to tell her to be careful with her brother, and to be patient because she was sure that he would come around his big ideas about love soon. Because Megan knew her brother by heart and she could tell exactly what he was feeling for Paige, and she could also tell that Paige was waiting for him to make a move.

But maybe now wasn't the moment to talk about this, or maybe she was confident that things would go naturally when the two of them were ready. Anyway, she decided to keep quiet and she just nodded to Paige before heading out of the room.

Now it was just the two of them. Paige wondered if Walter could feel her presence, or if she should talk to her. She had read things saying that people in the coma could hear when they were talked to, so she figured that she might as well try. She sat closer to him and took his hand in hers. It was cold so she started rubbing it mechanically.

 _« I hope you're gonna open your eyes soon Walter. I really don't like seeing you like this… Besides Toby told me that you had something important to tell me so I can't wait to hear that. I have some things to tell you too you know. I was so stupid… We were so stupid, both of us. But you'll have to wake up Walter. Because… because I really care about you. »_

Paige wanted to kiss him, it felt so easy at this moment, but she restrained herself. She wanted him to be fully conscious when that happens again. Because it would, she knew it now, and she should have known earlier. He was to stubborn to accept that Toby was telling the truth about his feelings, but she knew him better than that. Walter was far from being an emotionless robot. They just needed an honest talk.

Fearing and at the same time looking forward to the moment of this talk, Paige started to sink into a sleep full of funny dreams where Walter and her were in a car going full speed on a highway with Ralph on the backseat.

In the morning Paige emerged slowly and it took her a few minutes to remember where she was. Her head was resting on Walter's bed and she was still holding his hand. She still wasn't fully aware of her environment when she felt a slight pressure on her hand. Was it possible that…

 _« Walter? Walter can you hear me? »_

Paige saw his lips moving, but his eyes were still closed. Her heart was beating faster with every second, dying to have a real sign that Walter was okay.

« _Water… thirsty… »_

Paige hurried to give him her bottle of water as Walter was slowly opening his eyes.

After drinking almost the whole bottle, Walter looked at the face in front of him for a few seconds. He could tell she was worried. She was still beautiful though, the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

Then he remembered everything. He loved her, but she had gone to a date with another man. He remembered the car, the turn on the road that he took too fast. He felt so stupid, he didn't even deserved her. Yet she was the only one here, staying besides his hospital bed, holding on to his hand as if it was vital.

 _« Paige… I… »_

 _« Don't ever do that to me again Walter. »_

She had her eyes wet now, but he didn't exactly understood.

 _« Wh… do what? »_

 _« Almost dying! I was so scared when Megan called me, for a second I… I imagined what I would do if I lost you and I... I don't know really. I can't afford to lose you. »_

Walter didn't know what to tell her. He didn't know it that was a normal reaction when one of your friend has an accident or if it meant more so he decided to change the subject.

 _« How was dinner with Tim? »_

Paige wanted to slap him. She would have if she wasn't afraid to hurt him. Why did he always have to ruin everything?

« _You really have no clue do you? »_

 _« About what? »_

 _« About why I went to this dinner with Tim. »_

Walter was confused right now. Was there possibly a reason beyond the fact that he was a cool guy?

 _« I… Well I thought it was because you liked him you know like… you wanted to date him. »_

Paige looked down with a sad smile. Of course it was the most logical reason, and Walter was a logical man.

 _« It's not that simple. I first refused to go out with him you know. Because I… »_

Paige took a deep breath. Walter was very attentive to what she was saying and there was no-one else around yet.

 _« Because I thought that maybe you were going to ask me out. Then I heard you talking with Toby and… well it was stupid but I decided to accept Tim's proposition after that. »_

Walter was hit by so much honesty. And he felt so stupid for saying the things he said. He wanted to talk with her more. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, and that he hope it wasn't too late to realize what a fool he was, but at this exact moment, all of his friends burst into his room.

 _« Walter! Thank god you're awake! You scared us pal, has a doctor seen you yet? »_ asked Toby.

Then the Harvard student stopped, realizing that he was maybe interrupting something, but Paige quickly answered, letting go of Walter's hand, trying to make the situation less awkward.

 _« No he just woke up a few minutes ago, he hasn't seen anyone but he seems fine. »_

 _« Yeah I'm okay. I can't wait to get out of here. »_ mumbled Walter.

 _ **Sorry for the short length of this, I originally planned this chapter to be longer but I ended up cutting it in half because the last part fitted better with newt chapter so this is a bit of a transition but still with important stuff! Waige shouldn't be too far now ;)**_


	50. Chapter 50

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 50

 _ **Hey guys! Chapter 50 already, I'm glad I made it so far :) Thanks a lot for your reviews on my last chapters, it really feels rewarding when I make some 'choices' in my writing, or I make some allusions and you guys get them!**_

A couple of days later, Walter was out of the hospital. He didn't have the time to talk to Paige yet about their previous discussion with all of the medical exams he had to pass, and the more he was thinking about it, the more he was afraid to chicken out. But chickening out was what previously made her go to another man, and he didn't want that again. Not now that he knew that she actually would have liked to go out with him.

He probably should talk to Toby first though, to be sure that he got everything right, and to be advised about what he should do, or say.

And since he didn't want to make any move before that, his few interactions with Paige during these two days were very awkward. Like Walter saw that she was expecting him to say something more each time, and he didn't. He usually couldn't see these things, so he thought that this time it had to be very obvious.

Anyway, that day he got out, his friends ordered food for a dinner all together at the garage, and Walter took the first opportunity he could to talk alone with Toby.

Once they were a little further from everyone, the Harvard student started shooting his questions.

 _« What is this about pal? A little man to man talk? You need my advices again? Is this about Paige? I bet this is about Paige… »_

 _« Could you stop this already? And… yes this is about Paige. »_

 _« You want to know how to win her back after you beautifully failed at chasing her when you realized that I was actually right and that you love her? »_

Sometimes when Toby was taking his smart ass tone, Walter really wanted to slap him. Luckily for his friend, he wasn't a violent person, and also he would probably act the exact same way in his position.

 _« It's not… exactly that. See the other day when I woke up Paige was the only one with me and… she told be some stuff that… maybe… suggest that you know… maybe she likes me back. »_

 _« That's not exactly shocking, I'm pretty sure she has a crush on you since… well probably since as long as you do. What did she tell you? »_

 _« Well first she was almost mad at me for almost dying. And then she told me that she just accepted Tim's invitation because she heard our little talk about um… love and stuff. Then you came in. Do you think I'm just imagining this? »_

Toby was now wearing his best know-it-all smirk on his face and put his hand on Walter shoulders before taking a deep breath, just to add a little dramatic effect to what he was going to say.

 _« Dude, I really don't know how a guy like you can attract a girl like her but trust me, when a woman wants to make you jealous, you win. »_

 _« Oh I… I don't think she meant to make me jealous I mean she didn't even tell me that she was having dinner with Tim and… »_

 _« Yeah that's probably what she tells herself to, but her behavior is speaking for her. »_

Before Walter could ask Toby to be more specific, Cabe interrupted them his phone in his hand.

 _« Hey Walter how are you feeling? »_

 _« Uh good I guess… why? »_

 _« Are you up for an important mission or is it too soon? »_

 _« Do I have a choice? »_

Walter could tell this question embarrassed Cabe, because technically it was on his contract that he could turn off any mission Homeland gave him, without having to even justify himself, but that's not something you do when Homeland gives you a mission.

 _« Just kidding. Tell me about it. »_

 _« Okay well you two come with the others I'll explain the thing to everyone at the same time. »_

Walter nodded and followed Cabe back to the rest of his friends, curious about this new case.

 _« Attention everybody! »_ Cabe started. « _It was just brought to Homeland's attention that some wealthy owner of casinos in Vegas who also happens to be a nerd, build some dangerous software that he offers to sell for a few millions dollar. Given to their source, this thing could be use to crack almost everything, from banks to federal softwares, but they don't have enough to arrest him. What they want is for one of you, the best option probably being Walter, to go there and pretend to be a buyer for this software. Apparently the guy sells his thing only if his buyer really know his stuff. Then you'll just have to bring it to Homeland so they can analyze it and arrest the guy. »_

 _« Excuse me, but why is Walter the best option? We all know a lot about software here. »_ asked Toby, a little bitter about this.

« _Um because Sylvester and I are the best with softwares and Sly looks too young plus he is so stressed with people he would probably blow the thing off? »_

 _« Thanks for you trust Walter. »_ pointed Sylvester.

 _« Oh and you think you can't blow it off playing the smartest like you're doing right now? »_ continued Toby.

« _Toby's right on this. »_ agreed Happy. _« Walter always makes people want to slap him when he starts outsmarting them. There's a chance that the guy doesn't sell him the thing if you send him alone. »_

 _« Okay, then Walter will go with somebody who's able to cool things down. »_ said Cabe.

 _« That'd be me. »_ proudly stated Toby.

« _There is no way I'm taking you to Vegas Toby. Don't you think I know why you're so eager to be a part of this mission? »_

 _« Oh yeah and what would that be? »_

 _« I know about your gambling problems Toby. »_

 _« My… how? »_

 _« That's a boss's job to know everything about his team. Anyway I don't think that's the time to discuss it. I'll just take Paige with me. I can tell that she's my girlfriend and… »_

Walter realized in the middle of his sentence that he said girlfriend instead of assistant, and he became all red, but luckily nobody seemed to notice, not even Toby who was still upset about the previous sentence.

 _« Wait you want me to go to Vegas with you? What about Ralph? »_

 _« Megan can watch him. I mean that shouldn't take long and that's exactly why I took you on this team. Since I'm not… you know good with people, and you are. »_

 _« I think that's a great idea. »_ declared Cabe. _« I'll call Homeland back to tell them about it and I'll see you tomorrow to set the details about the plan. »_

Paige just nodded. She felt scared and… strangely excited to go on a mission alone with Walter. Of course work was the priority but maybe they would get some alone time to talk some things out. They hadn't spoke a lot since he woke up and she couldn't blame anyone this time, he had been really busy and it wasn't so long ago either but Paige was afraid that the glimpse of courage she had when she started being honest with him would fade and that it would be juste like every time, they would just pretend like nothing was happening between them.

Well not this time.


	51. Chapter 51

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 51

 _« So son, let's remember your story one last time. »_

 _« I'm Walter Ford, son of a wealthy guy that treats me like next to nothing and I know he has funny business with the feds. I want this software to discover the whole truth about him, and maybe for a little extra fun. And Paige she's my… »_

 _« I'm his girlfriend and I also help him in whatever he does. »_ finished Paige.

The day after Cabe told them about the mission, they had been briefed during hours about their cover and every backup plans possible in case things went wrong. Paige understood that the guy selling the software was no joke, and she had a moment of hesitation about all this. It was her first official mission and even if it was exciting, she was the young mother of a little boy and she sometimes wondered if she was doing the right thing for him. But Walter, who must have felt that she was a little uncomfortable had talked to her, saying that he wouldn't be mad at her if she decided to not go, but that if she was doing the mission, she had to remember that he would always have her back and that nothing bad could happen to her.

« _Our contact who's there managed to get you a meeting with the guy tomorrow but you're flying tonight to Vegas and you'll be staying in one of his hotels. Sit tight until your appointment, we don't want you to be noticed and blow the thing up. Of course we call that an appointment but from what we know he's probably going to take you gambling or whatever he likes to do in a casino and he's gonna try to test you. Since you don't even have the legal age to enter a casino we made you some fake IDs. Lucky for you, you look a bit older than you are. »_ Cabe explained.

 _« Cabe? What if he asks me technical stuff about the software? You said that he only sold his software to guys that would really know how to use it and I have no doubt that Walter will do but I'm supposed to be his assistant and I… I really know nothing about computer and stuff… »_

That was something that bothered Paige since a few hours. She knew it was silly because the buyer was Walter so he would be the one questioned but she just made tons of scenarios in her head and she needed to be reassured.

 _« Don't worry kid, just let Walter do the technical talk, your job is to be sure that our seller likes him, so you know maybe you could use your extra time in Vegas to teach him a few things about courtesy and how to keep your smart remarks for yourself. »_

Paige nodded in agreement as Walter was mumbling things saying that he was a very courteous guy.

 _« Anyway you'll have a headset with you the whole time connected with us right here so in case you're asked questions you'll have Sly, Happy or Toby to have your back. »_

Paige already felt better knowing this, they really seemed to have thought about everything.

 _« Remember kids, it's an easy one. You don't have to arrest the guy, you don't have to steal from him or anything. You just buy the software, come back here and we'll do the rest. There's really nothing to worry about. »_

A few hours later, Walter and Paige were arriving in Vegas and taken to their hotel by an Homeland agent. Paige who never went further than Los Angeles was marveled by the city and thought that it was a shame they were here on mission because even though she never was a big party girl, she still liked to have fun. But she still had plenty of time in front of her to travel and have fun, now was the time for work.

After checking in at the reception of the hotel, they were again escorted to their room, and then it was, finally, just the two of them.

 _« That's a nice room. Only um… one bed though. »_ commented Paige.

 _« Uh yeah we're supposed to be a couple you know so… I guess that is normal but I-I'll take the couch. »_ answered Walter as he was becoming all red.

Paige felt stupid for saying that. And now she wanted to tell him that it was okay and that he didn't need to take the couch but it would be weird.

 _« So um… how about we do as Cabe suggested and you teach me a thing or two about… socializing you know and uh… how to behave as a… boyfriend and well in return I can explain you the basic stuff you need to know about a software so the guy won't get uh… suspicious. »_

 _« Okay. You go first, just tell me some really basic vocabulary and then it's my turn to play the teacher. »_

Walter agreed and they went to sat on the couch as he started some passionate speech about the structure of a software. Paige didn't understand half of it, even if he made efforts for her, speaking in metaphors and all, and she was pretty confident that she would have forgotten all of it the following day but she just liked to hear him talk without stuttering or being uncomfortable in any way.

After maybe an hour of talking, Walter realized that this was maybe too much information at a time and that he probably lost Paige during the first two minutes.

« _You don't have a clue what I'm talking about do you? »_

Paige giggled at this question and shrugged as Walter looked down.

 _« Hey that's ok. You're a good teacher, I'm just a bad student. »_

 _« Yeah right. Let's reverse the roles now shall we? »_

Paige bit her lip, not knowing where to begin. She was thinking of taking this opportunity to talk to Walter about her feelings but maybe it wasn't such a good idea mixing personal and professional.

 _« Come on Paige, I'm not gonna learn how to be liked by myself. »_ joked Walter.

 _« Yeah alright, alright. So um… first thing I can think of is, whatever remark that comes in your mind involving you being smarter than the person you're dealing with, don't say it. »_

 _« But I… »_

 _« No but Walter. Trust me on this, nobody wants to be reminded how their IQ is lower than yours every two seconds. »_

 _« Oh. Okay. »_

Then Paige explained him that in this kind of circumstances, a few white lies were okay, like laughing at jokes even if you don't find them funny or saying compliments you don't think. Walter had troubles understanding this part, because well he thought that it was stupid and also because Paige always told him about the virtues of honesty, but she assured him than some lies were required if you wanted to get what you want sometimes.

They talked a lot, for so long that they both lost track of time. But none of them wanted to stop this conversation. They felt good with each other, it was actually the first time that they had the occasion to be together alone for a long time and they didn't want this night to end.

 _« So um… what about the… you know the boyfriend stuff. I mean I've had girlfriends before but I'm not sure my experience is enough not to be… weird. »_

 _« Well… first I know that you're not comfortable with physical contact but these little things matter. Like… like holding hands sometimes. It mustn't be too much though, we're on a business meeting the main goal here isn't to play the couple. »_

Walter nodded and then stood up.

« _Come on, stand up with me. »_

Paige did so, still with a questioning look.

 _« Show me what kind of physical touch is okay. Not too much but enough to be credible. »_

 _« Oh um… well if we stand side by side you can… you can pass your arm around my waist for example. »_

Walter did as he was told. She was only showing him, for the sake of the mission, right? So why was his heart pounding so fast?

 _« Maybe sometimes I'll… I'll put my hand here. »_ said Paige as she was turning a little to put a hand on his torso at the exact place where his heart was menacing to tear his chest into pieces. He was sure she could feel it now. He couldn't bear to look at her, because he know he would loose it if he did, but he heard her breathing becoming heavier.

 _« Should I… should I kiss you sometime? »_

 _« I… I don't know if that would be appropriate but… »_

Walter finally lowered his gaze. And god they were close.

« _But? »_

 _« Maybe we should… you know test it now so it's not… awkward if we have to… do it tomorrow. »_

 _« Well technically we already kissed once and I think the test went pretty well. »_

He closed his eyes immediately after saying that. He was such an idiot. She wanted him to kiss her, and he was dreaming of doing it again since their first one, but he found a way to mess it up. Luckily for him, Paige had no intention to give up here.

 _« That was long ago… I think we should check again you know. Just to be sure… »_

Walter opened his eyes again and stared at Paige for a few second. He wanted to tell her a million things, like how beautiful she was, and how he never felt something like this for anyone else, but when he opened his mouth, Paige probably thought that he was going to screw it up again so she took the initiative to close the distance between their lips.

And it was just like he remembered it, even better maybe. An explosion of feelings, that rushed through his whole body, and that he couldn't understand, but for once he didn't mind being clueless. It was slower than their first kiss, they took the time to breath between kisses, and Walter was very much aware of Paige every moves. Her hand around his neck, playing with his curls, and how her hips seemed to fit perfectly in his hands.

At some point Paige pulled off a little and Walter saw she was smiling in the most beautiful way possible.

 _« As much as I enjoy this… little lesson, I think we should go to bed Walter. »_

Walter wanted to protest, their meeting was only in the evening and they had instructions not to leave the hotel the following day, but he didn't want to push Paige either.

 _« And Walter? You know you don't have to… sleep on the couch. »_

All of this was going really fast for Walter, he never slept in the same bed as a girl after all. But it was Paige, not any girl. So he nodded, still giving her the room to change as he was himself putting on his pajamas in the bathroom and then he joined her, sliding under the covers and holding her, without saying anything more.

 ** _Theeere you go, I wanted to leave you with a nice little chapter before going again on holiday without internet._**

 ** _There is still a little angst to come, and some talking to get out of the way but let's say that Waige is on a good way now :))_**


	52. Chapter 52

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 52

The following morning, Walter woke up first and noticed that Paige and him almost hadn't move during the night. She was still in his arms, curled up against him and peacefully sleeping, so he was careful not to move so he wouldn't wake her up.

The scene looked like one of the dreams Walter had, with the girl he loved right there, in a bed with him, only he had to keep in mind that right now they were on a mission.

Walter looked at his phone, without moving too much, to see how late it was. Because he could tell he had slept way longer than usual. Actually it was maybe the best sleep he had since he was a child, if you don't count his little journey to the hospital of course.

As he started to reply to all the texts from the team asking if they were well, with only one hand since Paige was on his other arms, she started to wake up too. He looked at her and she gave him that smile that gave him the conviction that everything would be okay in the world.

 _« Hey, have you been up long? »_

 _« No I just woke up a few minutes ago. You slept well? »_

 _« Incredibly well. I missed sleeping in, you know Ralph may sleep well he is still a child so it's been a long time since I wasn't woken up by an hungry crying baby. »_

 _« Well I might not be a crying baby but I'm still hungry. What do you say we skip breakfast since it's already late and go grab lunch, then we can go though the details of the mission one last time this afternoon before getting ready? »_

Paige nodded and got out from the bed to go get ready in the bathroom.

As he watched her disappear, Walter wondered if they should talk about what happened the previous night or if he should wait until the end of the mission. That was a situation where he could have used Toby's advice, and he surprised himself regretting that his friend wasn't here. Well he guessed that his personal feelings would have to wait another day.

When the two of them were ready, they got down to the hotel's restaurant and as they were walking down the hallways, Paige took Walter's arm and leaned into him a little. He must have hidden poorly his surprise since Paige giggled at him.

 _« It's for practice. So you don't make that face if I touch you this evening. »_

Walter didn't reply and tried to calm down so he wouldn't sweat too much in Paige's hand. Despite the fact that they had done that already in the past, it felt more real this time, like there could actually be something after this, other than weird silences from the both of them avoiding the elephant in the room.

Paige and Walter had a long lunch, during which they enjoyed much the various meals all at the expense of Homeland, and after that they went back to their room where they recited their plan again and again to be sure that they missed no details.

Then they had to suit up for their meeting. Once again, Homeland took care of everything by buying them nice clothes; a tux for Walter and a dress for Paige.

When Walter asked if it was okay to get out of the bedroom and Paige told him that yes, she was ready, he wasn't prepared for the sight he would have. He almost had an heart attack in fact when he saw Paige glaring at him. He hadn't seen the dress they gave her, but he was pretty sure that even if he did so, he couldn't have imagined her wearing it. Because she looked beyond any words or any dream of her he could have had. Her dress was simple, long and black, a little bit revealing but not too much, still with most of her back naked and a split along her left leg, but adding to that the high heels and the make up Paige applied, it resulted in the most beautiful thing Walter had ever seen.

Paige felt Walter's heavy gaze on her and she liked the feeling of being desired by him. He usually looked away when she caught him staring at her, but not this time. She had to admit that she had troubles focusing on something else than him too. She saw him in a tux once, but the circumstances were sad so she didn't take the time to appreciate it. But now she had time to contemplate how handsome he was. She always found him attractive, but at this moment he took her appreciation to a whole new level.

So they just stayed here, a few feet from each other, in silence for what seemed an eternity, before the two of them decided at the same time to break the ice.

 _« You look handsome. »_ said Paige.

 _« You're absolutely stunning. »_ declared Walter at the same time.

Paige finally looked down, not able to repress her smile. She knew that Walter meant it, he wasn't good at lying, and it seemed like forever since she was last appreciated like this.

 _« Thanks Walter. Shall we go? »_

Walter agreed, trying to regain full awareness of everything else besides Paige, and offered her one arm, as he carried a suitcase full of cash with the other. She happily took it and here they were, going down at the casino for their first mission together.

« _Oh wait Walter. »_

 _« What? »_

 _« Our coms. I think we're supposed to put them on at this point. »_

 _« Oh. Right. »_

Walter got out the two little headsets they were given and put his in his ear, while Paige was doing the same. Immediately after turning it in, he heard Toby's voice loud and clear.

« _Ah! You finally decided to put your coms! I thought that you were going to play it solo and do everything without us. Or maybe that you forgot all about the mission and escaped together to get married or whatever. I mean you're in Vegas… »_

 _« Do you ever shut up kid? »_

Walter was grateful for Cabe's intervention, this way he wouldn't have to justify himself. He already felt bad enough for forgetting about the coms, he never forgot anything this important before. He shook his head, repeating in his mind that he was focused on his task, that it was a simple mission and that there was no reason to worry.

 _« Everything okay with the two of you? »_ asked Cabe.

 _« Uh yeah, we're good. We're going to the casino just now. »_

 _« Good. Our guy will be at the… »_

 _« At the black jack table I know. »_ completed Walter, a bit annoyed.

« _God I wish I was here. »_ mumbled Toby.

Paige and Walter didn't take long to spot their man. He looked exactly like the picture they saw of him: handsome and rich. They got closer and luckily for Walter, Paige took the initiative to make contact with him.

 _« Mr Parker? I think we have an appointment. »_

The man turned his head to see who was talking to him and it was obvious that Paige immediately caught his attention.

 _« Oh. I wasn't expecting a woman. Even less such a beautiful woman. »_

Paige could have been uncomfortable, but she decided that it was best if she played the game.

 _« Oh thanks! »_ she giggled, _« But I'm indeed not exactly who you expected. This is Walter, my boyfriend. He's the one interested in what you have to offer. »_

Walter took a step closer to Parker and gave him his hand mumbling some _'Nice to meet you.'_

The man took it and shook it hard, just like all the guys Walter met that thought it showed some kind of manhood to have the strongest handshake.

 _« You're one lucky guy. »_ he said, still glaring at Paige. _« I have to say I'm a little startled. I didn't think I could have a client this young. How old are you exactly? »_

 _« I'm 22 years old. »_ lied Walter. _« But I think I have all the skills required to deal with you. »_

 _« And I'd be happy to hear about that! But first, do you play blackjack? »_

Walter was about to answer that yes, of course he did, but Happy's voice in his ear interrupted him.

 _« Walter don't. This is not the time to let the Toby in you come out. »_

 _« Hey! What does that mean? »_

 _« Paige, if Walter plays he's going to count the cards and win every round and it's not gonna please Parker. He can't even fake loosing, it would really be an awful start. »_

Walter was starting to take a little too much time to answer so before he looked like a total idiot, Paige took, once again, things in hand.

 _« I don't think that's a good idea, he is terrible at it and I'm afraid there wouldn't be a dollar left for business if you get him started. »_

Parker looked at Paige with a stoic face for a few seconds and she was afraid that she said something wrong, or that his question wasn't really one and he just expected Walter to play right away. But then he started to smile again.

 _« I like a girl who keeps her man's head into business. I can see you didn't come here to do small talks. And that's fine with me! Come on, we'll go somewhere more private to continue this conversation. »_

Walter who didn't like the way Parker kept starring at Paige took good care of passing his arm around her waist, just like she showed him, as they were walking to a more quiet room. The man always kept two men with him, and Walter could easily see that they were armed of one, maybe two guns each.

The new place was a small lounge with two couches and a small table. Parker sat on one of them as his men were standing behind, and Walter and Paige took the other.

 _« So, tell me more about these skills you think you have. »_

That was an easy question for Walter, but he remembered that Paige told him not to show off too much so he choose a simple answer.

 _« I think I can do anything a software can offer once I have it. It's kind of uh… natural you know. »_

 _« Oh yeah? You learnt it all by yourself? »_

 _« He's a genius with computers. Just like he told you he's a natural! »_ answered Paige for him.

« _Pardon me for asking, maybe I missed something but what's your role in all this? Do you even have one? »_

Paige was a bit rattled by the question. She expected it at first but then she thought that he liked her enough not to ask question.

 _« You said it yourself, she keeps me grounded. She's my partner, in everything I do. Is it a problem? »_

 _« Nice answer pal. »_ murmured Toby.

« _Anyway. »_ said Parker as he focused on Walter again. _« Why didn't you build your own software if you're so talented? »_

 _« Uh… why would I? I mean you did it already and I have money to buy it so why should I loose time? »_

Paige was impressed at how well Walter was handling the meeting. Maybe he didn't need her after all.

 _« Fair enough. Well Walter, if you managed to get this meeting, I guess you have a really good reason to use this. Can you tell me a little bit more about it? »_

 _« I need to break the feds security. I'm pretty sure I would find out what ugly secrets my father took good care of hiding from me. Also I think I could have a little fun. »_

Walter felt good, the more they talked, the more he felt confident that it really was easy in fact and that he was doing well. They talked more about more technical stuff and Walter answered every question right, without telling once about his high IQ.

Paige had her hand on his thigh and it also reassured him to feel her then Parker had one last question to ask and well… Walter might not have been ready for that one.

 _« Now see my software is right here. »_ he said taking out of his pocket a USB key. _« And I would have happily gave it to you, despite your young age, because I'm pretty sure you're not even 22. But the thing is… I wonder if you really know the answers to all my question or if someone is whispering them in your ear? »_

 _« I… Uh… What do you mean? »_

 _« What really intrigues me is that you really seemed to know your stuff. But why would you need a com then? »_

 _ **I leave you there with a little suspense, I had to cut the chapter in two or he would have been two long compared to the others :)**_


	53. Chapter 53

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 53

 _ **I'm really sorry about the delay on this one, I didn't thought it was going to take me this long to update but I got caught up in some things and I let this sleep a little on my computer. Hope it was worth the wait and well I'll try not taking this long for the next update!**_

Walter felt trapped. Parker had forced them to remove the coms and he felt lost without Cabe's or his friend's voices to help him. He had to admit that he was scared, and the only thing he knew to do was holding on to Paige. He was indeed almost crushing her hand, but she didn't seem to mind. She was in fact probably as paralyzed as he was.

 _« So… you didn't answer my question. Why? »_

Walter still didn't answer, he was too scared to aggravate things. Luckily for him, Paige's brain seemed more functional than his at this point.

 _« It's not him who needs it, it's his father. But he doesn't have the time nor the skills to come here discuss with you so he sent Walter. Still, he wanted his son to have coms because well he was afraid something would go wrong. You see… we're even younger than what we've told you so we lack a little experience in um… these kind of deals. »_

Walter thought that Paige's answer was brillant, but he wasn't sure that Parker would see it the same way. It wouldn't be the first time during this mission that Paige saved their ass though ans he surely didn't regret taking her with him.

« _I like the two of you, you have guts. But it doesn't mean I trust you. I mean, why didn't you tell me the real story right away? »_

 _« Because we were told that you were very exigent about who you sold your software to. We thought you wouldn't even pursue the meeting if you knew how young we are and that we weren't even here for ourselves. »_ said Walter that got himself together, stimulated by the fact that the guy started to seem like he was buying their story.

 _« Yeah that's probably right. I don't really like the turn this meeting took you know, but I guess I'm in a good mood because I'm ready to believe you. »_

Walter was starting to let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding when Parker spoke again.

 _« Although I'd like to have a word with you father if you don't mind. Because let me be clear, I won't sell my software to a guy who won't make time for me. So I'd like to give him a little invitation. »_

This complicated a little things, but it was still okay. Walter could call Cabe and explain him the situation, then the Homeland agent could easily pretend to be his father and troubles would be over.

 _« Uh okay. I'll give him a call then and um… tell him to come as soon as possible. »_

 _« Oh don't bother, I'll do it myself. I'm pretty sure he's still here on the coms waiting for you to give him a sign. »_

Then Parker took Walter's com, reactivated it and put it in his own ear. Walter didn't believe in God of course, but right now he was praying for Happy, Toby and Sly to remain silent and for Cabe to understand what was going on and play the game. Otherwise he wasn't sure he would make it out of this room. Paige was probably praying just as well given to how tensed she felt under Walter's grip.

« _Hello there, are you here? »_

Given from his reaction, Parker received an answer and Walter felt really frustrated that he wasn't able to hear it.

« _Oh I think you know who you're talking to sir. »_

He called him sir, that was a good thing, Cabe was probably the one answering right now. He still had no idea what was going on here though.

« _That's right mister Ford. Now see, your son here told me that you sent him because you didn't have time for me but here you are, whispering in his ear. That's rather odd don't you think? Anyway, your options are simple now. Either you come here and deal with me in person, or you don't and I keep your son and his girlfriend here to make sure they understand that it's wrong to falsify IDs. »_

And without even letting Cabe the chance to answer, Parker hung up. He then made a sign of the head to to two guards with them and they took Walter and Paige somewhere else. Walter thought it was better to say nothing, he was confident Cabe would get them out of here but they needed to be very careful and not do another false step.

After three hours, twenty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds (Walter counted), someone finally came to bring them back to Parker.

He was already with Cabe and Walter didn't want to jump to conclusion but it seemed like things were okay and the two men had talk.

 _« So, are things okay now? »_ asked Paige.

« _Well at least I know what I have to do. »_ answered Parker. « _I don't know how much of a fool you think I am, but it seems to me that I'm just gonna have to kill the three of you. It's a shame for such a beautiful girl like you but you know, you should have picked better your boyfriend. »_

 _« Are you threatening us? »_ asked Cabe, positioning himself right in front of the man.

« _Oh no I'm not threatening you, I'm promising you that you're going to die man. »_

 _« Yeah that's what I thought. Come on boys arrest him. »_

And all of a sudden, a dozen of heavily armed men from Homeland burst into the room and pointed their guns to Parker and his two men who had to surrender.

The arrest went smoothly, Parker didn't say a word and Walter could tell that he was actually figuring out a way to get himself out of here. After all he was a very smart man.

 _« It didn't work the way we thought it would but I want to congratulate you for the mission kids, you did a good job. »_

 _« Thanks Cabe. If you don't mind me asking though I'd like to know why you couldn't just arrest him like this in the first place? »_

 _« Well you see son, we only had suspicions on this whole software thing, but no real proof, we can't go and just arrest whoever we want. But there he threatened a Homeland agent and that was enough for us to bust him. And I'm pretty sure we're going to find what we were looking for now. »_

Walter nodded and wanted to ask Cabe more about what they were going to do with the software and if maybe he could study it but he didn't left him the time, he had too many things to deal with right now.

A few hours later, Walter and Paige were back at the garage, celebrating the end of their first mission as team Scorpion. It was very late in the night but they were so glad to be with their friends again, and Paige to be back at Ralph's side that they didn't want to go to bed right away.

Both of them would also miss a little their time together and this feeling of being so close. And Walter knew that this time they couldn't just get away with it and pretend nothing happened. Not after their talk at the hospital, and their kiss in Vegas. So that's why he gathered his courage and went to Paige, who was talking with Megan, Ralph on her lap.

 _« Uh Paige, can I talk to you for a second? »_

Paige turned to Megan who smiled at her and took Ralph away from her. As they were moving away from his sister, Walter gave her a glance and he knew that she knew why he wanted to talk to Paige. She was giving him that big encouraging smile and even made Ralph wave at him.

Once they were a little aside from the others, Paige gave him an interrogative look.

 _« So, what do you want to tell me? »_

Walter wanted to look at his feet but he forced himself to look Paige in the eyes.

 _« You know I… I'm really glad I had you with me today. You were really… impressive. I mean you kept you head cold and uh… saved my ass more than once. You're a true asset to the team. »_

Paige blushed a little at these words. She had been afraid to be useless to the team since everyone in it was a genius.

 _« Oh thanks Walter. I was just... doing my job I guess… »_

 _« There is something else I need to talk about with you. It's about um… what happen before the mission when we were… preparing. »_

 _« Oh. I understand. Professional colleagues. »_

Then Paige passed next to Walter to leave but he didn't let her. He caught his arm and forced her to stay in front of him. »

 _« No, I don't think you understand Paige. »_

Walter lifted her chin so she would look at him again. He could see her eyes were wet and he understood now, that she pretended to feel nothing just he did so she would be less hurt. But he would never hurt her again.

Paige opened her mouth but Walter didn't let her the chance to talk. He just pressed his mouth to hers, at first timidly, but then when he felt her surrender more passionately. It wasn't a long kiss, but god it was intense.

Walter pulled off a little from Paige and took her hands in his.

 _« I… I don't want us to be professional colleagues. »_


	54. Chapter 54

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 54

Walter woke up with a strange feeling of peacefulness this morning. He knew it was late, but he wasn't worried about it for once. Everybody told him to get at least a day off after the mission and it wasn't in his habits but this time he intended to use it.

Oh yeah, also, Paige was in his very own bed and there was even Ralph between the two of them, who was wide awake but wasn't making any noise, as if he was aware that his mom and Walter needed rest.

Walter remembered little by little the previous night. After finally being honest with Paige, they both agreed that their attraction needed to be acknowledged and that they should test this chemistry they were feeling between the two of them and forget the whole professional colleagues thing. After what Walter offered Paige to stay with Ralph at his loft since it was very late in the night and well… after they showered (separately, they weren't there yet), they both concluded that none of them wanted the other to sleep on the couch so here they were, like a family Walter never dared to imagine he could have. Of course he was still young, people his age would rather have several experiences and not think about these kind of things, but he was different, and he knew that if it wasn't Paige, it wouldn't be somebody else.

After taking a little time to play again in his head the events of the past few days, Walter focused on Ralph. The child was staring at him with a very intense look that was always surprising. Walter didn't know if he was being subjective because he liked a lot the little boy, or if he liked the boy because the connection he felt was real, but he was detecting a great intelligence in him. Baby's weren't exactly his area of expertise but he knew that it wasn't common for a child to be this calm and able to focus on what was surrounding him.

Walter made a mental note to talk about it with Toby, he could probably tell if he was mistaking or not, and gave his attention back to Ralph.

 _« You know that's a crazy world you were brought to. Yeah I think you already know that somehow. I thought I knew everything about it, but your mom proved me wrong. I'm still learning everyday. Learning is the best, you'll see. I hope I'll be here to teach you some things when you're a little older. That'll be nice. »_

While he was talking, Walter didn't even noticed that Paige had waken up and was listening to him with her lips curved in a smile.

 _« Hey. I see you two get along pretty well. »_

 _« Oh. Hey. I… I didn't see you were awake. »_

Walter didn't know why he kept feeling shy and vulnerable in front of Paige. After all she was sleeping in his bed with his shirt on.

 _« Do you want me to make you breakfast? Coffee or… »_

 _« Yeah, coffee sounds good. »_

While Walter was busy in the kitchen, Paige got dressed and took a little time to think about what was happening. They hadn't talk that much about what they wanted to do and she didn't know if what just happened meant that they were officially dating. She was kind of afraid to ask because even if he made it pretty clear now that he wanted more than friendship with her, Walter's moments of honesty were sometimes followed by a brutal shut-down leading to another dead-end.

But when Walter came back with a cup of cinnamon coffee for her and dropped a kiss on her cheek very sweetly, he wiped out every doubts she could have for now.

That was going to be great.

 _« Thanks Walter. Just how I like it. »_

 _« I know. Would you like to uh… maybe spend the day with me? We could… go out with Ralph or… or stay here whatever you like best. »_

Paige bit her lips to refrain herself from jumping on Walter. She still didn't realize what was happening to her, it was like she was in a bubble with just her, Ralph and Walter. But she also had to keep her feet on the ground. She was only seventeen and yet she already had so much responsibilities, she couldn't let herself get caught into what looked like heaven and forget everything else.

 _« I'd really like to Walter but I think I have to get back home. I have a million things to do and well I'd also like to change clothes. But you can come have dinner with us tonight if you want! »_

 _« Sure. I understand. Dinner is good too. »_

An awkward silence came then where Paige would just sip her coffee while Walter was starring at her pretty intensely.

 _« So I… I can drive you home if you want? »_

 _« Yeah okay, that'd be nice. »_

Paige grabbed her clothes and started changing in front of Walter, who shyly turned around not to see her in underwear. She wanted to tell him that it was okay but she didn't. All this was probably very new for him, and she didn't want him to misunderstand her intentions.

When she was done the little trio went down to find an unexpected surprise.

 _« Oh hey guys. I didn't expected Paige to be here. Did the two of you just…? Never mind I'll leave that part to Toby. I'm not here to talk about relationships in the workplace or whatever. »_

Walter had never seen Happy this nervous. She was usually a very stoic girl but there she was, rambling and showing signs of stress. She was also standing in front of a large thing covered with a white sheet that intrigued Walter a lot.

 _« So why don't you tell us why you're here for? »_

 _« I uh… I wanted to make you a surprise to… kind of thank you for bringing me into this team and you know… everything you do for us and… god I hope this isn't lame. »_

 _« Coming from you I'm absolutely sure that it won't be lame. »_ reassured Paige.

 _« Okay, here it is. I hope you like it. »_

Happy uncovered what happened to be a big green luminous sign with 'Scorpion' written in yellow.

 _« I'll find a good place for it I just wanted to… you know show it to you first. »_

Walter didn't know what to say, he knew that for Happy actions meant more than words and she would probably never say out loud what this sign meant.

 _« That really perfect Hap. I mean that was exactly what the garage needed to be our home. »_

Happy knew Walter really meant what he just said, and that was enough for her.

 _« Well I'll hang it with Sly, Toby and Cabe this afternoon. Now I believe you were going somewhere so I won't bother you longer. »_

 _« Oh yeah, I was just taking Paige home, see you in a few minutes I guess! »_

 _« Take as much time as you need. »_ mumbled the mechanist.

About ten minutes later, Walter's car was in front of Paige's apartment. He didn't know if he should make a move now so he just remained silent.

 _« Thanks Walter, see you tonight. »_ said Paige before dropping a kiss on his lips and leaving the car, Ralph in her arms.

And at this exact moment, Walter O'Brien understood for the very first time the concept of love.

 _ **So here is a sweet little chapter after their adventures. I have big plans for this story, I may not post as often as before but this is not over ;)**_


	55. Chapter 55

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 55

Things had been pretty calm at Scorpion since the last mission and everybody used their free time to work on personal projects. Happy was fixing an old motorcycle, Toby was trying to put an end to the troubles he had because of his gambling problems…

Megan was looking for a small apartment not far from the garage, with the help of Sylvester, because she said that both her and Walter needed a little more personal space. She was the only one who Walter talked to about the development in his relationship with Paige. She had been very enthusiastic at the idea of her little brother 'finally having what he deserves', but she still promised him not to tell the others until he felt ready to. Though Walter wasn't a fool, and he was pretty sure that she told Sylvester anyway given from the big smiles he addressed him every time Paige and him were in the same room.

As for Walter himself, well he spent half of his time working on the cure to his sister's disease, which was driving him mad because he still hadn't made any progress whereas he is used to fixing problems very quickly, and the other half with Paige and Ralph. Things were going smoothly between them, and it was exactly like Walter hoped it would. They were comfortable with each other, and they learned how to understand what the other needed without even talking. For exemple, Paige understood that Walter needed some space from time to time, to figure out all these new feelings, and even if she would like him to talk to her more about it, she was giving him this space. She didn't want to rush things with him, because this relationship was worth taking things slow for her. She was seventeen, and yet she could easily see herself spending the rest of her life with Walter. People could take her for a naïve young girl to think about this when Walter and her were only kind of dating for less that a month. But there are some things you just know and you can't explain.

Of course it wasn't perfect yet. They didn't exactly knew where they stand, especially considering Ralph, and that was why they didn't tell anyone else yet. They had things to work on too, like Walter was making some efforts on his hand. He tried to open up more to Paige, and to always offer to do things he thought she might like. He probably looked up stuff on how to behave in a relationship on the internet too, since he had been buying her flowers and chocolate and that was so not Walter. But Paige founded the way he was trying to be perfect adorably perfect so she let him do.

To sum up you can say that it wasn't yet the deep relationship they could have, but that it was slowly heading towards it. They were both confident about it, they had all the time in the world.

They spent a lot of time together but they didn't stay at each other's at night since that time their relationship started. Walter wasn't used to this, and he though about offering her some times but he didn't want her to misunderstand his signals. He knew that he loved Paige, a lot, but he still didn't feel ready to take their relationship to another level. Paige understood that on her own, and even though she wished he would talk to her about that, so that she could tell him that it was okay and even that they could sleep in the same bed without doing anything, she chose not too. Sometimes she thought that maybe she started having sex too early, and she wished she could have done her first time with Walter, that was her romantic side speaking. But at the same time she wouldn't have Ralph if things went like this, so things were probably good as they were. Anyway, she knew that a lot of people their age were still virgins so they liked to take their time, and it was even more accurate for Walter given his issues with physical relations.

One morning, as Walter was working on a surprise for Ralph for Christmas, he heard a knock on his door. It didn't sound like the knock of one of his friends, since he learnt to distinguish them (Toby wouldn't even talk, he'd just burst into the loft while speaking out loud). It sounded like Paige's in fact, but Walter wasn't expecting her. Maybe she decided to pay him a little surprise visit? She did that in the past.

Walter took good care of hiding his future gift before going opening the door. And the person he found himself in front of wasn't anyone on the team, nor Paige, but the woman kind of looked like her. Just a little older. Oh… it was probably…

 _« Hi. I'm Veronica, Paige's mom. You're Walter right? »_

 _« Uh yeah… yeah I'm Walter. If you're looking for Paige she's not here. »_

 _« Oh I wasn't looking for her darling, that was you I wanted to see. May I come in? »_

The question was rhetorical since Veronica didn't let the time for Walter to answer before stepping into his apartment. She was looking curiously at everything in the studio, like if she was rating it.

 _« That's a cute place you have here. I heard you were living with your sister, is she here? »_

 _« Um no she's… »_ Walter didn't finished his sentence, wondering how this woman could know so much about him when they never met before.

 _« Excuse me miss Dineen but… what are you doing here? »_

Veronica tore her attention from a photo of Megan and Walter when they were little, in Ireland (Walter didn't like to remember that time but Megan insisted on keeping that frame and he rapidly gave up), to focus back on Walter.

 _« Well I told you, I'm here to see you. I think you and my daughter are pretty close, am I wrong? »_

 _« Uh… no, I guess not. »_

 _« Are you two together? That's the thing I couldn't figure out… »_

Walter felt really uncomfortable answering Veronica's questions, he wished Paige was here to tell him what to say.

 _« I still don't understand what you want from me. Is this a checkup visit like you're coming to authorize me to see Paige or not? Because if that's it I… I don't think we need your approval. »_

 _« Oh boy no, that's not it at all. I think Paige is old enough to pick her boyfriends herself, though I still want her to be with a good man. And if that matters, from what I know and what I see here, I think you are. I mean I like you, you seem way better than that Dwight or whatever… »_

 _« Drew. »_ couldn't help to correct Walter.

 _« Yeah that one. Stupid football player, couldn't even stick here to raise his son. »_ That was cheeky, coming from a woman who never was around as her daughter grew up, Walter thought.

 _« It was baseball. »_

Veronica gave Walter a smile, the kind that meant that she knew, and that she had an idea behind her back playing the fool like this. Walter didn't liked that very much, he remembered Paige telling him that her mother was a master at manipulating people to get things from them, and he didn't want to speak to much without Paige here. But at the same time it intrigued him to know his girlfriend mother, and understand why things were so cold between them.

 _« Anyway, how do you know all this? I thought you weren't close to Paige at all and well… how did you even know where I live? »_

 _« Ah boy, I may not be around a lot, but I always keep an eye on my daughter. I love her you know, and that's why I'm here actually. Tell me Walter, what do you know about me? »_

 _« I know you were never here for Paige when it mattered. And I know you've been to prison. »_

Veronica looked down, seeming more vulnerable, less confident.

 _« She must really hate me… or really trust you. But please Walter, I don't want you to judge me from what you heard on me. I really do love Paige, and I want to make it up to her. I want to meet my grandson too. And I know that if I go to her directly she'll never hear me out but you… maybe she'll listen to you. Do you think you can help me? »_

Walter had to think about it. She seemed sincere, and he didn't know why, but he wanted to help her. And at the same time, he remembered too well Paige telling him that she never wanted to hear from her mother again. Also, he put himself in her position. If Paige went behind his back to help his parents reconnect with him, he would probably be very pissed at her.

 _« I… I'm very sorry but… I don't think Paige would appreciate. I… think you should go. »_

Veronica gave him a sad smile this time, one that he saw before on Paige's face, too many times.

 _« Okay. I understand. If you change your mind here… is my number. »_ she said as she wrote it on a piece of paper and handed it to Walter.

He took it and escorted the woman to the door. Before leaving, she turned to him and as her face was very close from his, he was hit by how much Paige actually looked like her.

 _« You love her a lot don't you? »_

Walter didn't expect that question. He never said out loud that he loved Paige, not even to her.

 _« I… »_

 _« That was rhetorical, I can tell you love her a lot. See I'm good at reading people. »_

 _« I guess I do. »_


	56. Chapter 56

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 56

 _ **Hey guys, just got back to work this week but I'll try to keep posting from time to time. I'm so sorry about the delay between chapters it's kind of frustrating for me not to be able to write all the ideas I have as fast as they come to my mind. But I try to make it up to you by doing chapters a little bit longer! I'm also very looking forward to the 4th season and I think I'll maybe do one shots after the episode juste like I did during season 3. Anyway, here's chapter 56 :)**_

 _« Hey Walt can I talk to you for a second? »_

That was Toby, and Walter had been avoiding alone time with him for the past few weeks because he still hadn't told him about Paige and him and he was afraid he figured it out on his own by now and would want to psycho analyze why he didn't tell about it. He knew the easiest way to fix this was probably to just… well tell him about it but he didn't feel like it yet. He kind of liked the secret part, it made things easier to process for him and Paige. Well okay, mostly for him but he knew they would get there eventually.

 _« I uh… I had something to do with… my researches about… »_

 _« Cut the crap Walter you're terrible at lying. I don't know why you're avoiding me and trust me I would love to spend my time figuring it out but right now there is something more important we have to discuss. »_

Toby was right, Walter was terrible at lying. So he was relieved that his friend's mind was busy with something else, though he was starting to worry that Toby got in troubles or something like that to look this serious. It wouldn't be the first time after all.

 _« Okay, I'm listening to you. »_

 _« You know what day today is right? »_

 _« Uh yeah. December 4th. »_

Walter didn't understand why this question, but now Toby was looking at him like he expected him to say something else.

 _« Why? »_

 _« Oh my god are you serious? I thought you never forgot anything? »_

Toby knew this remark would really bother Walter, because he liked to brag about how he remembered everything. Well, everything important at least.

« _Do you still do that thing of celebrating friendships? Because I'm sorry but I really think this is stupid so yeah, I might have forgotten what day you picked for us. »_

 _« Well first of all I don't think that it's stupid to celebrate the date you met someone who's a big part of your life and… anyway that's not even about that. Well kind of in fact I mean… Walt, today's Happy's birthday for god's sake! »_

 _« Oh yeah I know. »_ stated Walter.

Of course he knew it was Happy's birthday, he knew everyone's birth date in his team. But he didn't see why Toby was making such a big deal about this. Happy was like him, they just didn't like to celebrate their birthday, it made no sense. Walter was doing an effort every year because her sister got him used to it but Happy… she never really had any one to celebrate with.

 _« So that's it? You're not going to do anything? Did you buy her a present at least? »_

 _« Why would I want to do something, do you remember the last time we tried to celebrate Happy's birthday? I'll just put some money on her bank account, for the gesture you know because I… well I care about her you know but why bother with a present when it's going to cause her pain to just say thanks? »_

Toby could see some good things about Walter going out with Paige. Oh yeah, he knew it, but unlike his friends could think, he was very capable of keeping his mouth shut when he saw people weren't ready to talk yet. So one of the good things was that Walter was a little more at ease with his feelings. For example, he could now say out loud that he cared about someone without stuttering too much.

But he was still slow on picking up some things. Like the fact that Happy didn't like birthdays because it reminded her how lonely she was on this day for the most part of her childhood, but that she could actually need the few person she cares for to make her feel like she's not alone anymore. Or even that Toby really wanted to please Happy, because a thing was going on between them for a while now, and it could be his first romantic gesture to make her know how much he cares about her.

Well, maybe it was time for both men to actually talk to each other about some things.

 _« Walter I… there is something we need to discuss. »_

Walter didn't like the sound of that, especially with Toby. The guy was his best friend, sure, but he always wanted to discuss everything during hours, when Walter just wanted to move on to some work or whatever. But this time Toby had a pretty serious look on his face so Walter figured he could make an effort for once and agree to dialogue with him.

 _« Yeah, okay… I'm all ears. »_

 _« So first you got to know that… I know about you and Paige. »_

 _« You do? I mean… what are you talking about? »_

 _« Come on don't play this game with me Walter. I just know it, but let's keep this conversation for later. What I want to tell you is that… while you were having your thing with Paige, you might have missed a few things going on right under you nose. »_

 _« What do you mean? Did Sly hacked CIA again? »_

Toby chuckled at this memory.

« _No... no it's nothing like this. The thing is… what you have with Paige well… you can say I have it with Happy. »_

Walter didn't expect that. Well in fact he did, he knew that they liked each other and that they spent a lot of time together so sooner or later he figured that something might happen. But just not right now.

 _« Oh, I see why the thing with her birthday now. Why didn't you tell me before? »_

 _« Well first because you gave me that little speech about how relationship into the team could ruin everything. Then I figured you and Paige were dating and I was super excited to do like triple dates with Megan and Sly too but I talked to Happy and she said that she preferred it to stay a secret for now. I guess you two work the same way you know, that part of why I didn't bother you with Paige, because I understand how you process things better now. »_

Walter always saw Happy as the closest one to his way of thinking so it made sense to him. He also realized that what Toby told him meant that everybody on the team knew for Paige and him. Except for Cabe but he wouldn't be surprised if he did too . That was kind of a relief in fact.

 _« I'm happy for you two Toby, I'm sure you'll be good for each other. »_

He meant that. If Happy managed to keep Toby's mouth shut for god know how long, she could only be good or him. As for her she could probably be more in touch with her emotions with a guy like Toby.

 _« Thanks pal. It's so great that you take it like this. Anyway, I'd really like to make her feel special today so would you please help me throwing her at least a little party tonight? Please Walter I know what you're thinking but I tell you even if she doesn't show it she would really appreciate. »_

 _« Okay fine, tell me your plans. »_

—

A few hours later, Toby and Walter had made everybody but Happy gather at the garage to throw Happy a little surprise party and they were now waiting for her, nervous to see if the mechanic would like this.

Toby called her just saying that the team was having dinner at the garage and when she finally arrived, everybody yelled 'Surprise!' and Happy could only stare at the streamer wishing her a happy birthday, agape. But her silence didn't last long.

 _« Seriously? You know damn well I… »_

 _« Before you can say anything about you hating birthday parties and you see no point in celebrating this day let me explain something to you. »_ cut Walter. « _Toby and I worked our ass off today to do something nice, and yes, I know that you didn't ask for it, but it's been a pleasure for us to work uh... in order to make someone that we both really care about that uh… that she means a lot to us and well… since we don't say that a lot around here today seemed appropriate. »_

Happy couldn't get mad after this. She wasn't a big fan of expressing feelings with words, she preferred actions. But she knew that it was also hard for Walter so earring this coming from him made her feel like her heart actually could do more than sending blood to her organs.

Paige was very proud of Walter too. I was getting better and better at expressing his feelings and well she liked to think that she wasn't for nothing. She mechanically took his hand and she realized just after she did so that maybe she shouldn't have since Walter wasn't comfortable yet with public demonstration of affection but to her surprise, he linked his fingers with hers and held her hand tight.

 _« Also we know that more surprises would be… uh maybe too much so let me just tell you what we got you as a gift. The whole team get you that new welder you've been talking about and it is right here, on your new work area. »_

Walter got off the sheet that was covering a new desk for Happy, full of shiny brand new tools. Everybody kind of naturally adopted a corner of the garage to set their things but until now Walter was the only one to have a real desk with appropriate furnitures, the others would just hang on a couch, an old armchair or use some stuff the previous owner left as a desk when they needed it.

 _« For the record, everybody will have something like this in the coming weeks I just… you know I wanted this day to be about Happy. »_

The girl in question was overwhelmed by such generosity from her friend. She was almost uncomfortable knowing that he spent so much time and money, even if it was probably company money, for her and she didn't know what to say anymore.

 _« I… I'm really thankful to all of you. I never thought I could have a nice birthday you guys proved me wrong. »_

Toby was smiling proudly next to Walter. He was first afraid to let Walter handle all the talking but his friend insisted and finally it was for the best.

 _« Well I'm not done yet. »_ Walter said.

The Harvard student was surprised, he didn't know about what was coming next, as far as they discussed they were supposed to have the cake right now.

 _« I don't know if… if it's the right time for this but I… at least I'll have it out of my chest. I just want to come back on my statement, or even many statements, about relationship in the office. If it can make my friends happy then… well as long as it doesn't jeopardize or work I guess I'll… I'll allow it. »_

 _« Not that we would have listened to you anyway. »_ mumbled Toby, but not too loud because he was still glad that Walter would say that.

Paige felt Walter squeeze her hand a little and she knew what was coming next. And she liked the idea of it.

 _« And about that I… I think you all know already so there's really no point in doing that but I… I've experienced myself a… »_

« _Walter? »_

A voice interrupted him and he recognized it immediately. And it was not good.

 _« Hey Walter I'm sorry I let myself in the door was open. »_

It was Veronica, and as Cabe, Toby, Happy, Megan and Sylvester were just wondering who the hell was this woman, Paige was starring at her with the most shook eyes, letting go of Walter's hand.

« _What is she doing here? » - « What are you doing here? »_ said Paige and Walter at the same time.

 _« Well you told me to come by in your text. »_ answered Veronica, only to Walter. _« This doesn't seem like a good time though. Maybe I should go? »_

Walter quickly took Paige's mom aside under the curious looks of the rest of Scorpion.

 _« Is my grandson here? »_ she asked.

 _« Look, I didn't told you to come by_ _ **now**_ _, I told you that_ _ **maybe**_ _you could come over_ _ **sometimes**_ _so we can work some things out_ _ **after I talk to Paige.**_ _»_

« _What the hell does that mean Walter? »_

Of course Paige came to listen and heard everything.

 _« Paige I can explain. »_

 _« Oh I don't think you can. I already know enough. You went behind my back, talking to my mother, after I specifically told you everything she's done and trusted you to be on my side! »_

Walter and Paige never had a fight since they were dating. In fact Walter never had a real fight with someone he truly cared about, except for Cabe maybe but it wasn't the same thing, and he was so distraught right now.

 _« Please Paige let me talk to you. »_

 _« I can't take this right now. I need some air. »_ declared Paige before heading toward the exit.

Walter tried to run after her but then she turned around with an angry look he'd never seen on her before.

 _« Walter, don't. I don't want to deal with it now, I just need alone time. We'll talk about this later. »_

And without letting him the time to answer she went away.

 _« I'm sorry this happened today, I hope you still enjoyed the surprise. »_ murmured Toby to Happy.

« I hate to admit it but it was stupidly adorable. I hope mamma Dineen isn't bad news for the team though. »


	57. Chapter 57

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 57

 _ **I'm back guys! I'm done with my exams for the first semester so now I have some holidays and finally a little time for myself. I hope that I still have readers on this story, but I want to say that I'm grateful for the messages I received during my break asking me to update this. I'll do my best to give you a few chapters before going back to work.**_

 _ **So little reminder here so you don't have to read again the last chapters : Walter bought the garage and team Scorpion is working for Homeland, Walter and Paige are together but Walter talked to Veronica behind Paige's back and mamma Dineen arrived at the garage during Happy's birthday so Paige is like really mad at Walter right now.**_

 _ **Enjoy this chapter!**_

Walter looked at his friends helplessly. Should he run after Paige even though she made it clear she didn't want to talk to him?

Nobody was talking, so a heavy silence was weighting between the team and Paige's mother. Then she was finally about to talk but Cabe cut her.

 _« Look miss Dineen… »_

 _« Oh please call me Veronica. »_ she chuckled.

She didn't have to talk much for Toby to pick up that she was very skilled at being liked by people and making them feel what she needed them to feel towards her. He didn't understand at first why Walter would do such a thing as going behind Paige's back when they were at a time in their relationship where they needed to learn to trust each other blindly, but now he got it better. Walter seemed like a very complex human being but in fact if you knew which strings to pull he was very predictable. Cabe on the other hand, had seen his share of con people and knew better than to fall into Veronica's little mind game.

 _« Whatever. »_ answered the Homeland agent. « _I think you should go. You said it yourself, this is not a good time to show up. Actually I don't think that there is a good time. Not until Paige, and only Paige, decides so. So don't bother Walter or anyone else here again please. »_

Walter was glad that Cabe took things in hand, and he thought that after that Mrs Dineen had no choice but to leave, but clearly he was underestimating her again.

 _« You're Cabe Gallo right? »_

 _« Not that is relevant but yes I am. Agent Gallo. And I'm asking you to leave my team's place. »_

 _« I think you know better than everybody here what loving a daughter is. And the pain of loosing her. And… »_

Before she could finish her sentence, Cabe got very closed to her, with a look that Walter had never seen on him.

 _« Get. the. hell. out. of. here. And don't come back. »_

Anyone would have been scared, or at least impressed to be in front of an angry Cabe, but not Veronica. She just smirked and took a few steps back, before turning to Walter.

 _« You take good care of my girl. When she's ready, well you know where to reach me. »_

Walter didn't answer. He felt stupid for trusting Veronica in the first place. He should have trusted Paige, that was more logical, and Walter wasn't used to doing the less logical thing.

When Paige's mom finally left the garage, Walter wanted to talk to Cabe, thank him and ask for his advice. But when he looked at the man what he saw hit him. Cabe looked broken, and about to cry. And Walter had never seen Cabe cry, he was the toughest man he knew. He wondered if that had anything to do with the weird thing Veronica said about knowing the pain of loosing a daughter. He wanted to talk to him but Cabe took his coat and went for the door without a word. Just before leaving, he turned to Walter and looked him in the eyes.

 _« You better make it up to her son. »_

The way he said it made Walter realized that he really screwed up. He couldn't blame it all on Veronica, because he could have talked to Paige right after she visited him the first time, but he didn't.

 _« Hey pal, Happy and I are just gonna go home. Let you some time to process this. But you can call me if you need my advice or… just to talk. »_

 _« O-okay. Thanks Toby. »_

Then it was just Sylvester, Megan and him.

Walter looked at his sister and he felt better right away. She didn't have that judgmental look the others had when Veronica introduced herself. Instead she was giving him a reassuring smile, and he knew that she would know what to do.

 _« Hey Sly, why don't you go home? I'll call you. »_ she said.

 _« Uh sure. See you later. »_

Walter liked the company of his friends, but right now he was glad to be alone with his sister. It had been a long time since they didn't spend time just the two of them, given they were both in a relationship, and also had a lot of work, but Walter needed her more than he let her know.

 _« I'm really a moron right? »_

Megan laughed lightly at this question. What he did was indeed stupid, but he didn't need her to say that.

 _« Walter I know you didn't have bad intentions talking to Paige's mother. Sure you should have talked to her about it, but she will forgive you eventually. You just need to talk to her, explain her what happened and apologize. Maybe even buy her flowers, couldn't hurt. »_

 _« Should I go talk to her right now? »_

 _« I don't think so. She needs to cool off a little, she's really pissed at you right now so if you talk to her she'll probably say things she will regret. Leave her some time and talk to her tomorrow. »_

 _« Okay. I trust you. »_

 _« Though you should probably send her a text tonight. Saying that you're sorry and that you'll talk tomorrow. She probably won't answer but at least she'll remember you care. »_

Walter nodded, and was about to go get his phone when Megan stopped him.

 _« Hey Walt, this is really a terrible time for this but there is something I need to tell you. »_

Walter didn't like the sound of this. He worried it had something to do with her disease, medical insurance or worse…

 _« Mom and dad they… they called me yesterday and… they're coming here. Soon. »!_

 _ **Short one to get back on tracks but you'll have more very soon ;)**_


	58. Chapter 58

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 58

 _ **Thanks for all the reviews on my latest chapter, feels good to see this story is still followed. Anyway, this chapter will be longer than the previous one, enjoy!**_

Walter felt dizzy suddenly, and everything was spinning around him. There was too much information in one night, everything was just too much and he felt overwhelmed. He had to do something to get his mind off his problems.

 _« I think I'll go to bed. Thanks for your advices Megan. We'll talk later about the um… Sean and Louise situation. »_

 _« Sure little bro'. Try to actually sleep and not worry too much over... over everything. »_

Walter nodded and kissed his sister's temple, as they both knew that he would do the opposite of what she just said, and then went to the loft to lock himself up in his bedroom.

His first thought was to drown himself in some difficult problems to forget all about what just happened, so he took his computer and started working on some programs that usually made him shut down from everything else. But it didn't work this time, as Walter kept thinking about Paige's face just before she turned her back, about Cabe, and about his parents coming. He would need both his girlfriend and his father figure for this, and at this moment neither of them seem to be in a good place to help him go through this. And it was all his fault.

Walter shut his computer. He had too much to do to ignore his problems. He tried to be rational about what was happening, there was no better way for him to feel reassured than being methodical.

Okay, so first of all he had to send that text to Paige. It should have just taken him a few seconds to do that but instead he spent maybe half an hour thinking about the proper thing to say.

When he was finally done with that, he didn't stop in this rush of good will, and composed Cabe's number.

He was disappointed when the man didn't pick up but after all it was already late and maybe it was for the best, this way he could leave him a vocal message and tell him what he wanted to say without being interrupted.

 _« Uh, hey Cabe… I just called to… um to see if everything was okay and… to tell you I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what Veronica said was about but I… I could tell it hurt you and… well I know I'm not always the best interlocutor but if you need to talk just know that… well I'm here… Also I'm going to fix things up with Paige. Make it up to her just like you said. So I… I'll see you around I guess. Good night Cabe. »_

Walter then hung up and laid down on his bed. This had been a pretty intense day, and he was exhausted, he would think about how to deal with his parents venue later. Right now he had to try to get some sleep so his mind would be clear when he talked to Paige.

Meanwhile at her apartment, Paige also had troubles finding sleep. She cried, a lot, because she felt betrayed by the only person she thought she could trust a hundred per cent, and because she hated being mad at him. Deep down she knew how he worked, and that he didn't mean to hurt her, but he did.

Her phone buzzed and her heart started beating faster when she saw that it was a text from Walter.

 _« I'm sorry, you have every right to be mad at me. I'll come by tomorrow so we can talk about it calmly. I miss you and Ralph already, sleep well. »_

Well, she wasn't sure that this would help her sleeping better but she felt a little less like crying after that text. Walter cared about her, and about Ralph, and she was still mad at him, but they would figure it out. They had to, because she sure didn't want to go back to the time she didn't know him now that she'd experienced how wonderful it could be being with him. And they didn't even get to the depth of their relationship yet. But for now he needed to understand that he was not in control of everything, and that there are some things you can't do.

So she didn't answer and slowly drifted to sleep as she was thinking about what she was going to say to Walter when he would come.

The following morning, she was waken up by knocks on her door. She looked at her phone and saw that it was already 10 am. God, Ralph was probably starving. She got up quickly and went to check on her son in his bedroom, and here he was, wide awake but completely silent. She was always amazed at how little he was crying, it was really making things easier for her. She took him in his arms as the knocks on her door continued.

 _« Yeah yeah I'm coming. »_

Carrying Ralph, she went to open to discover Walter, with a puppy look on his face and a bunch of roses in his hands.

 _« Hey. »_ he just said.

For a moment Paige forgot all about their fight, and she was very tempted to kiss him seeing how cute he was. But then she remembered the previous evening so she decided to give him the cold treatment.

 _« Hi. »_ she simply answered, keeping a stoic face.

 _« Did you get my text yesterday? »_

 _« I did. »_

 _« Do you uh… do you mind if I come in? »_

 _« Help yourself. »_ said Paige as she stepped aside from the door.

Walter stepped in and went to put the flowers on her table. He started to scratch the back of his head and was about to talk but Paige stopped him.

 _« I have to feed Ralph. You can wait here while I do that and then we'll talk. »_

 _« O-okay. Sure. »_

As Paige disappeared in Ralph's room Walter let out a sigh. He prepared himself for every possible scenario, and sure the one where she gave him the ice-cold treatment wasn't the best one but it wasn't the worst either.

It seemed to him like she took forever to come back in the living room, and he had the time to think about leaving at least a hundred times, but he still stayed. There was really no point in going back now anyway.

 _« So, what do you have to say? »_

Okay, he said it in his head several times and it sounded good, now was the time to say it out loud.

 _« First of all I know that I already said it and that it isn't enough but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have got in the middle of something that wasn't my business. I mean at first it felt like it was uh… maybe a little my business because… you're my girlfriend right? So I wanted to help you and your mother… reconnect. But now I realized that I was wrong to think that I had any right to have a say and well… I wanted to tell you but she came before I had the chance to and… »_

 _« You texted her Walter! I mean how did you even get her number? »_

 _« She gave it to me when… when she came by my loft. »_

Walter felt ashamed as he listened to himself speaking. It seemed obvious now that he should have told Paige right away, so why didn't he do it?

« _She came by your loft? And you didn't think it was a good idea to tell me about it? »_

 _« I'm so sorry Paige I… I know it doesn't excuse everything but I've never been confronted to situations like this before and dealing with people it's... it's never been my area of expertise and your mother she… I don't know she seemed like she got me and I guess that I couldn't help but seeing some of you in her and that's probably what made me want to help her. »_

Paige didn't like the fact that Walter saw similitudes between her and her mother. She swore to herself that she was never going to be anything like this woman, that she was better than this. But at the same time she knew that her mom was really smart, so it probably easy for her to get into Walter's head.

 _« And after you left I learnt that my parents are coming here for Christmas and… I don't know what I feel anymore. And I need you Paige, I need to have you by my side. »_

 _« Why do you have to make everything about you? »_

Walter was hurt by Paige's answer. He didn't expect that, and it surely wasn't his intention to make her feel this way. Why did he have to screw up every time he tried to be honest and talk about his feelings?

 _« I… I don't! »_

 _« Yes you do! I'm sorry Walter, but what you did with my mom you did it because you wanted to feel good about yourself, without thinking about how that would make me feel. And now instead of just apologizing to me you tell me that you're just here because you need me to deal with your family problems? »_

Walter felt like he was about to burst. He hated it when someone didn't understand what he truly meant, and even more when it was Paige.

 _« I'm not here for that! I'm here because I need you all the time. Not to deal with my problems, or to help me understand the world, but just… to feel good. I miss you from the moment you walk out of my door, and I always hated physical contact but I need your touch to feel well. And I want to be for you everything that you're for me, but I'm a mess, and I hate myself for hurting you. I can't stand that you're mad at me. So yes after all maybe I'm making this all about me, because since I've first talked to you that day on the campus I don't know how to live without you, but you know damn well that I would give the world for you, I would literally give my life for you and Ralph if I knew that it could make you safe for the rest of your days. Because… because I love you Paige. »_

Walter felt out of breath after saying all this. He couldn't believe he just told Paige that he loved her. He never dared saying until now, not even in his head. But there it just came out. And he didn't regret it, because even though the concept of love was still weird for him, it had to be this.

He stared at Paige expectantly, waiting for her to say something. Maybe she didn't have to say it back, but she could at least acknowledge that he said it. But she was just there, agape, with her eyes getting filled by tears. And then Walter's phone rang and she still hadn't say a thing, so he picked up.

 _« Yeah? »_

 _« Walter this is Cabe. I know you're probably with Paige right now but you two should come by the garage as soon as possible. We have a mission. »_

 _« Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. »_

Then he hung up and went for Paige's door, turning to her one last time before leaving.

 _« I meant everything I said. But right now I think you should stay out of Scorpion for a little while. »_

Still no reaction from Paige. Disappointed, Walter left her place and went back to his car. Only once he was in it, he didn't headed to the garage.

 _ **More to come very soon. Reviews are always welcome :)**_


	59. Chapter 59

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 59

Paige wanted to run after Walter, and stop him from leaving, but she was paralyzed. She didn't understand why she didn't say it back to him. Everything he said was amazing, and she didn't feel like being mad at him anymore after that, so why couldn't she answer that she loved him too? Because she did, she knew that for quiet some time now and she was sure of it. She always imagined that she would be the first one to say it out loud, and that it would be way more romantic, but she never did because she was afraid that it would overwhelm Walter and scare him. But it was Walter, the one considered as emotionally handicapped, who just dropped these words on her, and now she was the one overwhelmed. Maybe because it was the first time she heard that with so much sincerity.

She played back Walter's last words and shook her head. This whole fight was stupid. She was stupid. He told her he needed her, and she needed him. And she could run after him actually, nothing was preventing her from doing that.

Judging from the call he received, he was probably heading to the garage for a mission. She could meet him there and maybe have a word with him before the case started.

So Paige dressed Ralph and a few minutes later, she was on a bus with him, going to Scorpion's headquarter.

Once there she half expected Walter to welcome her but it was Cabe who saw her first.

« _There you are! Is Walter behind you? I need to give you both the pitch for this case. You… »_

 _« What do you mean is Walter behind me? He isn't here? He left a few minutes before me! »_

 _« Are you kidding me? I'll call him, he probably just made a detour to put some gas in his car or whatever. »_

But Cabe called Walter three times, and he never picked up.

Sly was already typing really fast on his computer to see if he could find something as for where Walter was.

 _« Guys, I can't track his phone… »_

 _« Not good… »_

« _Maybe his battery is dead? »_

 _« Not explaining why I can't track his phone. »_

 _« Do you think he's been abducted? »_ asked Paige, starting to panic at the idea that Walter could have been hurt, because he was alone, because they had a fight.

 _« Oh no, we could have traced his phone too if it was the case. My guess is that 197 didn't want to be find. And that will not make our task easy. »_ affirmed Toby.

« _Maybe he's at the beach. The last time he disappeared that's where he went. »_ suggested Paige.

 _« If he really doesn't want to be found he's not going to be somewhere we know about. But that's still a start, I'll go check the beach with Happy. Sly and Megan you can maybe check museums he likes. Cabe I'll text you a list of places that could be probable given what Walter likes to do when he's alone, but you should start with Kovelsky's. And Paige, well you should stay here with Ralph in case he comes back. »_

Paige wanted to protest that she wanted to do more than this, and that she wanted to help looking for Walter actively, put then she thought that it wasn't very convenient to move around with Ralph, and that it was true that someone had to stay at the garage, so she just nodded and everyone went where they had too. She knew he would answer, but Paige tried to call Walter one last time, and decided that she should leave him a message.

Meanwhile, Walter was in the last place his friends would look up to find him. He had been wandering for a while, eating in a small restaurant he never went to before for lunch, and then driving around town, looking for something to do that would keep his mind budy. He didn't know exactly what motivated him to come here, but at least he was sure he was on his own for a moment.

 _« Can I get you anything sir? »_

 _« Yeah give me uh… some whisky. Even um… Irish whiskey if you have some. »_

Yes, Walter was in a bar. And he knew he was acting stupid, but he wanted to feel stupid for a few hours, to stop overthink everything. The case could wait, he didn't feel like saving the world today.

 _« Sure. Do you have an ID? »_

Luckily for him Walter kept his fake ID from the mission he did with Paige. The one that brought them together. He got out his wallet and showed the card to the bartender who nodded and started pouring him a drink. Walter was about to put the wallet back in his pocket when he spotted the picture of Ralph and Paige in it. The picture he never gave Drew because he discovered that he was cheating on Paige. He took it out and started staring at it, spinning mechanically the glass in his hand at the same time. Then he took a sip of the beverage, and he thought that he was going to vomit right away. It burnt his throat, and the taste was awful. Walter coughed, and it seemed to amuse the guy sitting next to him.

 _« First broken heart's drink right? »_

Walter looked at the man without answering. He was a short dude, a bit older than him, with a big smile on his face.

 _« Is that the woman who's responsible for this? I have to say, she's pretty. And is that your son? He looks just like you. »_

 _« Why are you lying? He's not mine. He can't look like me. Because he's not mine… »_ said Walter as he took another gulp of the terrible liquid.

 _« Well you don't have to be from the same family to look alike. People often tell me that I look like Clint Eastwood, but as far as I know we don't have any common relatives. »_

Walter stared at the man and he couldn't tell if he was joking or not. He knew who was Clint Eastwood, Cabe obliged them to have a western movie night with them, and he told them everything about John Wayne and Eastwood. And the guy looked nothing like Clint Eastwood.

 _« I'm Ray by the way. Nice to meet you. »_

 _« Walter. »_ answered Walter as he took the friendly hand Ray was giving him.

 _« Hey dude, put another drink to my new friend Walter, same thing he was drinking. On me. »_

Walter didn't even realized that he had finished his glass. But now that he noticed, his head was spinning a little.

 _« So tell me everything about that girl Walter. The baby's not yours but she is, isn't she? »_ asked Ray.

 _« Yeah… I mean I don't know. I hope she still is. »_

 _« Look man, if I was a girl, and I was with you, I would stick with you for sure. Now come on, tell me the whole story so I can help you out. »_

Walter thought that this guy was very weird, and that there was no point telling him all his heart troubles. And maybe it was the alcool, or maybe it just felt good talking to someone exterior to his life, but he ended up talking to Ray for hours about how he met Paige, and how they became friends, and how difficult it had been with Drew, but that now they were more than friends. Ray was actually a very good listener, and he had every details of the story in mind. Well except Paige's name that he kept mistaking.

 _« You should turn on your phone pal. I'm sure Pamela tried to call you. Maybe you didn't leave her enough time to answer. It can be quiet a shock the first time someone tells you these words, but it doesn't mean you don't feel the same. Give her a chance to express herself you know. »_

 _« Yes. Yes of course. Open communication is the key to a healthy relationship. And Paige and I we… we're meant to work. I'm such a moron. »_

Walter didn't know why he talked this much, mostly to himself by the way. Maybe it was the alcohol speaking. He never drunk more than a glass of wine before this, and he swore to himself that he would never drink, because it was pointless and reduced his mental abilities. But he didn't feel judged by Ray, and he understood now why a lot of people say that it is important to talk to someone when you have problems. He rarely did it, because he always felt like he was bothering his interlocuteur, but maybe he should try it more often.

Walter turned his phone on again but didn't deactivate the jammers he put to prevent his friends for tracking him. He still wanted to have the freedom of going home anytime he wanted.

He saw that he had several missed calls from Cabe and the other members of the team, and also one vocal message from Paige, so he decided to listen to it before calling anyone back.

 _« Hey Walter it's me. Paige obviously. Please come back? We all need you here and… I need you. I'm alone at the garage with Ralph right now while the others are looking for you so if you come back we don't have to tell them right away and we can… talk. Listen, earlier it didn't ended how it should have, because I l… No. I promised myself I wouldn't do that over the phone. Come over Walter. »_

Walter listened to this three times in a row, and he already knew it by heart when he realized that he should actually get back to Paige. She was about to say something really important in the message, and he was 99 per cent sure of what it was. And he had to hear it.

 _« I have to go. Thanks for everything Ray. »_

 _« Dude, there is no way I let you drive like this. You clearly can't hold alcohol and I don't want you to crash on the way to the love of your life. Give me your keys. »_

At any other moment of any other day, Walter would have laughed to Ray's face, but right now he was actually glad to have someone thinking for him. He still managed to guide his new friend to the garage, and a few minutes later they were arrived.

 _« Thanks again. »_

 _« You're welcome man. Now go get her! »_ said Ray before handing him his keys back.

 _« Hey wait, you drove here with my car, how are you going to get back to yours? »_

 _« Meh, don't worry for me, I'll just walk. Goodbye Walter, I'm sure we'll see each other again. »_

And then he left, leaving Walter wondering if he wasn't just an hallucination his drunk mind made up. But right now he had something more important to focus on. So he took a deep breath, and walked into the garage.

 _ **I saw that I had new readers in addition to the one who follow this since the beginning or almost, and it makes me so happy to see your reviews saying that you read all the story in a short time. I hope you'll like what comes next too !**_

 _ **Also special note to Scorpion addict : I heard what you said and you might like what will happen soon :)**_


	60. Chapter 60

SCORPION - GRAVITY - CHAPTER 60

 _ **I'll have to be efficient if I want my Christmas chapter to be right on time, but that should do it. For now enjoy chapter 60!**_

 _ **Ps : I edited chapter 59 so it would be coherent with this one, you don't have to read it again, just know that instead of disappearing for a few hours after going to see Paige in the morning, Walter has been out all day and he's coming home at night.**_

Paige had been staring at the door the whole time she was alone at the garage, so she wouldn't miss the moment Walter would come back. It was really late now, and everybody had been looking for him all day, starting to really worry that he had done something stupid. So when she saw him enter, her heart immediately felt lighter at the confirmation that he was okay.

 _« Walter! »_

She ran to him and hugged him for a few seconds, but she rapidly realized that something was off. His smell actually. He smelled like…

 _« Walter did you drink? I though you didn't drink. »_

Walter shook his head and she was tore between finding the situation amusing or being worried.

 _« I was stupid Paige, so I decided to act even more stupid. I know this sound stupid. »_

 _« Are you drunk? I hope you didn't drive here. »_

 _« No actually, I made a new friend. His name is Ray. He's a normal and he's the one who drove me here. I'm sure you would like him, he managed to talk me out of being stupid. Although he made me drink a little more that what I should have but… anyway I'm not here to talk about Ray. »_

Paige decided to find this amusing in the end. Walter wasn't too drunk to the point where he wouldn't even be able to have a conversation, but he was still a little inebriated, which made him kind of cute.

 _« Okay. Do you want to talk or do you want to wait until you're sober? Maybe I should call the others. »_

 _« No, no. Don't call them right now. Listen, I… I know there is a case, I hope I'm not failing the whole world right now. But you have to listen to me first. »_

Paige took Walter's hand and led him to the couch so they could both sit down.

 _« So, I'm listening to you Walter. »_

 _« I just… I wanted to tell you that it's okay if you don't want to say it back to me right now. It doesn't change what I feel for you. Because tell me if I'm wrong but… deep down I know that we both feel the same right? And I of all people know how people can express their feelings in different ways so… well that's it. »_

She wanted to interrupt him so many times, but she also wanted to hear everything he had to say, so she let him finish. This year had been hard for her, she lost a lot, but it was also the year where the best things in her life happened. And now she had the chance to be like a family with Ralph and Walter, her two favorite person in the world.

 _« Listen Walter, I'm not a big fan of doing this while you're not in your normal state but… it doesn't matter because I'm sure we're going to have plenty of occasions to say that again. »_

Paige took a deep breath and Walter's hands in hers.

« _Earlier when you talked to me I was just… overwhelmed. But now I'm ready. So can you say it to me again? »_

Walter stared at her for a few seconds and she was afraid that he didn't understand what she meant, and that she would have to explain. But then he just blurted it out.

 _« I love you. »_

Hearing this a second time was as intense as the first one, and it was definitely something she wanted to get used to.

 _« I love you too Walter. »_

Walter wanted to hear that, but he didn't expect her to answer it right away.

 _« I don't know what to do with that information. B-but it's great. Really great. »_

Paige giggled and Walter tried to understand if he said something funny.

 _« Come here. »_ Paige said before pulling Walter to her and kissing him gently.

He didn't know if it was still the alcohol or just the fact that he had just heard the first 'I love you' from a woman other than his sister in his life, but Walter suddenly felt really hot. The woman of his dream was kissing him and there was no hard feelings between them anymore, just pure love.

 _« Ralph? »_ he asked, tearing his lips a second from Paige's.

« _Sleeping. »_ she answered in a breath, starting kissing him more fiercely the second after.

Her hands were now under Walter's shirt, and she could feel his warm skin, and his heartbeat fastening. Walter started to push Paige a little so she could lay down, without breaking the contact between their mouthes, when her phone rang.

They both jumped and broke appart from each other, as Paige took the call.

 _« Toby? … Yes I know, you can stop looking. He's here… Yes he's okay… Ok, see you in a minute. »_

Walter was a bit disappointed to be interrupted by the others, but now that he worked out things with Paige, he should probably focus on the mission.

 _« You should go put some water on your face. So your head is clear when they're here. »_

Walter nodded and went up to his loft, trying to think straight as the effects of the alcohol started to fade away. He decided that he had the time to take a quick shower before the rest of the team arrived, and he thought about what just happened. Things went from terrible to more than great between Paige and him in one night he had his first drinking experience which actually turned out to be helpful with his problems. Although he could have done without it if he just didn't overreacted in the first place. And he surely didn't want to renew the experience, but he wasn't mad at himself either for doing it.

Walter was barely out of the shower that he heard a faint knock on his door. He opened to find Paige, who made a very weird look when she saw him. Walter didn't get it, but it was mostly due to the fact that Paige found him madly attractive with only his shovel around his waist, his well shaped chest naked and his wet curls falling on his forehead. And if their friends hadn't been waiting for them downstairs, she probably would have jumped on him right now.

 _« We uh… we're waiting for you. Luckily the mission has to be tomorrow, it's at a Christmas party apparently. But Cabe wanted to… talk to you and explain you what you'll have to do. »_

 _« Okay. I'll be down in a minute. »_

Paige nodded and before Walter closed the door she quickly grabbed him and gave him a kiss. He understood that this was for no other reason but the fact that she wanted to do it, and it was good to know that they were back to this point. Maybe their relationship was even going to be better now that they had some things out of the way, and Walter felt like he was ready to take things to another level. But for now he has to hurry, his team had been waiting for him for too long.

A minute later, Walter was down and he was afraid that everybody would be mad at him but in the end they all looked glad to see him. Megan gave him a hug before saying that she was exhausted and go to Sly's place with him, Toby said that he had tons of remarks to do but that he was saving them for when Walter is fully recovered from his little experience so it would annoy him more, and Happy just declared that he really was a stupid genius, but that he probably already knew that so it would be inefficient to explain him how stupid he was. Then she also left with Toby, both wanting to be well rested for the mission. Walter was really tired too, but he had to have a conversation with Cabe before going to bed.

Before doing so he went to Paige who was holding a sleeping Ralph in her arms.

 _« Hey, why don't you two go wait for me upstairs. I don't want you to go home this late alone and even if I'm feeling better I'd rather not drive you. I mean Cabe could get you home but I… I'd like it if you'd stay here. »_

 _« Sure, sounds good. »_ agreed Paige before taking her son to the loft.

« So uh Cabe… I'm sorry. For failing you. I chose a poor time to need time for myself. That won't happen again. »

Walter said that looking at his feet, and when he lifted up his head he saw that Cabe was smiling at him with an understanding look.

« _It's okay son. I realized that it's unfair to put so much pressure on you when you're still just a kid. I mean I know that you are not like any other boy your age, and that you want to do this, but I can't be mad at you for having heart's trouble, you're not a robot. By the way I saw you worked things out, I'm glad for you. »_

 _« Thank you, for saying this. »_

 _« I got your message too. I appreciated it. You know I'm a very proud man Walter, and I don't like to talk about myself, but I also want the trust between us to be mutual, so I'll tell you what Veronica Dineen knows, only I don't want you to feel sorry for me, or to act different because of this okay? »_

 _« O-okay. »_

Cabe took a deep breath. He really wasn't used to speak about him, even to the people he cared about, and it had been a while since he didn't have to talk about this.

 _« Before I met you I… I was married. And I had a daughter. But she got really sick and well… she passed away. My marriage didn't last after that, and I always felt guilty for not supporting my wife better, but the pain was too deep and staying with her was making me drown. And I miss my baby, every day, so even if I learnt to live with loss, I still don't appreciate when someone brings this up after all this time. »_

Walter wanted to tell Cabe that he was sorry, but the man just asked him not to be sorry for him, so he didn't know what to say. He had made researches about everyone in the team to be sure that they didn't hide anything from him, and he spent a lot of time trying to find informations about what Cabe did during the years he stopped seeing him, but he didn't dig deeper about the years before he met him.

 _« I… I didn't know. »_

 _« Now you do. But let's talk about this mission shall we? »_

Walter agreed and Cabe explained him that they would all have to go to a Christmas party organized by an association who was using their philanthropist image to hide illegal drug deals and that a big transaction was presented on this big event. They needed Scorpion to be here because the place was very well protected with all sorts of devices and they wanted things to go smoothly. So the whole team would be undercover at the charity, with the mission to guide the Homeland agents through the place. Nothing too risky for them a priori.

Walter absorbed all the informations and took the detailed file, making a mental note to read it in the morning. Then he wished Cabe a goodnight and went up to join Paige. He saw that Ralph was sleeping in the baby's bed Happy and him made for when he was watching Ralph, and he looked at him for a moment, feeling a rush of paternal affection for the little boy, thinking about what Cabe just told him. Of course he wasn't his father, but he still felt this need to protect him.

After what he went to his bedroom, where Paige already passed out in his bed. He saw that she changed to put one of his shirt and sweatpants way too large for her. This day really had the best ending.

Walter slipped under the sheets and passed his arms around Paige to hold her, falling asleep easily with her perfume surrounding him.


	61. Chapter 61

SCORPION - GRAVITY - Chapter 61

 _ **So I'm late after all, this chapter was much harder to write that what I thought, but Merry Christmas to all those who celebrated it, and a my best wishes too to those who didn't.**_

The following morning, Walter experienced his first hangover, and that's what definitely convinced him that he should never drink again. His head hurt like hell, and he had this weird taste in his mouth that he tried to make go away by brushing his teeth three times in a row.

Paige gave him some baking soda, saying that it should help, but Walter couldn't wait that the headache went away to start working. He had to read the detailed file for the case, and study the security system of the place to be prepared to every possible scenario for the evening. Happy and Sylvester helped him, while Paige and Toby went shopping to find appropriate outfits for everyone.

Toby was really overexcited about this mission, saying that they would finally have the triple date he was planning to have for weeks, since Happy and him, Sylvester and Megan, and Paige and Walter were all going as a couple. Walter wasn't too keen on involving his sister in a mission at first, but she told him that she wouldn't meddle in their business and that she was only going because Sly asked her, nervous about being alone in such a social event. He also refused to see this as a triple date, because it was a case and they had to focus, but he had to say he couldn't wait to see Paige dressed up again since their little trip to Vegas and he even looked a video teaching a few dancing moves on the internet in case they had to dance.

Then evening came faster that Walter thought and the six of them were now getting ready to go to their little party. Walter didn't see the point in buying new clothes for him and Paige instead of using the ones they had in Vegas but Paige told him that since Homeland was paying they could as well enjoy it.

Walter and Happy were ready first, they were always the most efficient ones, then came Sly and Megan, then Toby and finally Paige. Once again, Walter found her breathtaking in her long red dress, and he probably stared at her too long for Toby not to notice.

 _« Be careful pal, you've got some slobber hanging at the corner of your mouth. »_

Walter didn't bother answering and just passed his arm around Paige's waist protectively.

 _« So kids remember, it's nothing difficult. You just have to put your coms on and be receptive while our team progresses in the building. When they need you to open a door, or shut down an alarm, you do it. The rest of the time you can do whatever you want, even enjoy yourselves. Also, Tim is going to be on the field, he'll probably be the one communicating with you since he knows you. »_

Walter and Paige both felt uncomfortable at the mention of the SEAL trainee but he was a good agent after all so it was only normal that he was there.

 _« I still don't understand why we all have to be there. It's not like Toby's or my skills are going to be needed. »_ said Happy.

« _Well, we never know what can happen, I'd rather have you all there. Besides, the mission shouldn't take long and we expect it to go smoothly so we don't ruin the night of all the innocents enjoying there Christmas there so… It'll leave you time to be together at a nice fancy party. You should take this opportunity to relax. »_ affirmed Cabe.

« _Yeah sure, as soon as we're done with the job I'm getting the hell out of here. »_ mumbled Happy, more to herself than to anyone else.

« _So your car is waiting for you, I'm not coming with you but I'll be on the coms the whole time. And don't worry Paige, I'll also be watching Ralph at the same time of course. »_

Paige nodded in appreciation and the group of friends went out to discover a limo waiting in front of the garage.

 _« Nice. For once I go out, we're doing things properly. »_ said Megan as their driver was opening her the door.

Walter was happy to see her like this. She looked radiant in her black dress and she didn't seem as tired as she was for the past weeks. Of course she would probably have to go home earlier than the others, but now that he wrapped his head around it, the fact that she was willing to let go for a night meant a lot to him.

A few minutes later, after a rather silent ride, team Scorpion arrived to a big building, embellished by a lot of lights and streamers announcing the charity event, and a lot of very well dressed people on the inside.

Walter and the others geniuses didn't take the time to overlook everything, they were already discreetly dialoguing with the Homeland team, but Paige and Megan were really impressed by the place and intended to enjoy every little bit of it, commenting together the dresses of various guests.

After giving their name to a receptionist, the team was guided to their table where they all sat and got their phones and their touchpad to start typing lines of code rapidly in order to hack into the security system. Everybody was giving them looks like 'young people these days, they don't know how to behave' but none of them cared.

Cabe was right, the mission was easy, and except for an altercation between Walter and Tim because they took too much time opening a door in the young SEAL's opinion (luckily for them Paige was here to smooth things), everything went exactly as they had planned. Which left them a lot of time to enjoy the party, and if Happy and Walter were both reluctant to stay, their respective companions convinced them that since they were here they might as well stay a little longer.

So they had their dinner, and after that almost everybody went to the next room for an auction. Happy had to calm down Toby because ever since he stopped betting he was desperately trying to find a substitute and she was afraid that he would give away the little money he had for some useless item, so she offered him to go for a little tour around the place. As for Megan, Sly, Paige and Walter, they decided to stay in the main room. Slow music was playing in the background and some of the people who stayed there too started to dance.

 _« Hum, my lady, would you give me the great pleasure to dance with me? »_ asked politely Sylvester to Megan as he was offering her his hand.

Megan blushed, she felt like a teenage girl tonight while she was the oldest in the couple.

« _Uh I don't know Sly… you know I… I'm still pretty weak. »_

She wasn't used to stutter, but she also wasn't used to have this kind of attention on her. Of course Walter had always been there for her, but what she had with Sylvester was so much different that what she experienced before, and it was only getting stronger as the days passed. He was always so careful so give her everything she needed, but without making her feel like an assisted, and when she was with him, she forgot that she was doomed.

 _« I know, but don't worry it's okay. If you feel that your legs are failing you, you just have to step on my feet and I'll dance for both of us. Come on, this is going to be fun. »_

Megan pretended to refuse for a few seconds after that but rapidly gave in and the couple was soon on the dance floor, dancing together, their front heads touching. Walter watched them, wishing he was as confortable as his friend doing this king of gestures, and he wondered if he should ask Paige to dance to. But before he could decide, Paige started talking.

 _« That's a lovely night, right? I mean you're not bored? »_

 _« Oh no. Not at all. I uh… I could never be bored when… when I'm with you. »_

Paige bit her bottom lip, falling in love again with Walter every time he was saying cute things without even realizing it.

 _« You know maybe it's not a great time for this but I… I've been meaning to talk to you. Now that all the anger and frustration is gone, I still think that we've left some things to sort out. »_ started Paige.

« _Yeah? Like what? »_

 _« Well first of all I know that your parents are coming tomorrow. We haven't talked about that at all but I know that it scares you. You should tell me how you feel about it, and how I can help you you know. »_

 _« I appreciate Paige, but there is nothing more you can do than just be there. I'm pretty sure my parents will love you anyway. Maybe they'll despise me a little less now that I'm with you. »_

Paige was always hit by how less Walter thought that his parents considered him, she talked about it to Megan and she said that it was mostly a communication issue, but that deep down they loved him, in their own clumsy way. She wished that she could do something to get them to understand each other and get along better, but she was afraid to meddle into this after what happened with her own mother. But maybe she could actually show the way to Walter, and if she took a step forward maybe he would too.

 _« You know Walter I also gave a lot of thoughts to what you tried to do with my mom. And I'd like the three of us to have dinner some day. Maybe even with Ralph. I'll try to go with no hard feelings, and give her one last chance. And I'll need you to be there too. If that's okay with you? »_

Walter was embarrassed because after how Veronica hurt Cabe's feelings he gave up the idea of a reconciliation between her and Paige, but at the same time he didn't want to stop Paige in this impulse of good will. It was her choice after all.

 _« Sure, okay. »_

 _« Well anyway, we'll have plenty of time to plan this. Right now are we going to dance or what? »_

'Greatest Love of All' by Whitney Houston was playing in the background and although Walter was a little nervous, he stood up and presented his hand to Paige, just like he saw Sylvester doing a moment earlier. Paige smiled at him and took it, and they both went closer to where people were dancing, but still a little appart. Walter hesitantly put his hands on Paige's back and without a word, she took them and helped him placing one lower, keeping the other in her own hand as she placed her free one around his neck. Their face were dangerously close and Walter was now oblivious to everything surrounding them, focusing only on the face of the woman he had in front of him. The most beautiful face he'd ever seen.

 _« First dance, isn't it? »_

 _« Am I this bad? »_ worried Walter.

« _No. You're actually cute. »_

There was just the two of them in the world at this moment, and Walter didn't even have to think about where he should put his feet next, moving with Paige was natural.

 _« I really like dancing with you Paige but… would you like to come home with me? I'd like to spend some time with you and Ralph, away from people tonight. Besides I've just realized I didn't gave you your gifts. »_

Paige nodded. She liked dancing with Walter too, but it was her first Christmas with Ralph, and spending it with Walter, just like a family, sounded very appealing. So they decided to send texts to the others, so they would read it whenever they were not busy anymore, and they went home, hand in hand.

Meanwhile Toby and Happy had found a spot on the roof of the building (they were probably not allowed to be there but who cares?) and they were silently looking at the stars, Happy's head resting on Toby's shoulder. It was usually hard for him not to talk all the time, but in such a peaceful moment he was voiceless.

 _« You know I uh… I'm glad we're alone. Because there's something I wanted to talk about but I don't want to share the information with the whole team. Not yet. »_

Toby was intrigued by this sudden statement by Happy, but at the same time glad that she was opening up to him so he tried to be careful about how he played it.

 _« I promise I'll keep my mouth shut, you can trust me. »_

 _« I… I think I found my dad. »_

 _ **So, I had reviews asking for a little bit more Quintis and Melvester, it's true that I said I was going to write everyone, and I got so caught up in the Waige plot that I left the others behind. It's a shame because I love writing them too, so I tried to put more of them in this chapter and I'll do my best to keep it this way (even if it's still going to be major Waige).**_

 _ **I probably won't write until 2018 so have a great New Year's eve and I'll write/read you next year :)**_

 _ **PS : thanks to Danada who pointed out my spelling mistake in the previous chapter, I was writing the word in French ahah my bad, it's fixed now :)**_


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